22-year-old accused of holding migrants for ransom at gunpoint, demanding money from families

Jiovanni Lieggi Image
Saturday, January 6, 2024
22-year-old allegedly holds migrants hostage, asks family for money
Skye Plylar is accused of recording videos with a minor demanding money from the families of the migrant hostages.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office arrested a 22-year-old woman for allegedly holding migrant hostages at gunpoint.

The video above is from ABC13's 24/7 livestream.

In court, prosecutors said Skye Plyler worked with a minor to record videos that were then sent to the families of undocumented migrants. In these videos, the duo demanded money for the migrant's release.

It happened at the Carrington Apartment Complex on Gulf Pointe Drive in southeast Harris County.

READ RELATED: Migrant encounters reach all-time high along southwest border with over 300K encounters last month

Court documents show Plyler was under federal supervision for previously harboring undocumented migrants back in 2022.

Documents show that in the previous case, a border patrol agent caught her and two other individuals with five undocumented migrants in a car.

Prosecutors filed motions for no bail to be set considering the circumstances of both cases.

Plyler's court-appointed defense attorney asked for the bail to be set at $2,000 per charge.

A judge set Plyler's bond at $50,000 for each charge.

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