Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include the name of co-defendant Robert Luis Saldana, which was previously redacted in earlier court documents but has now been unsealed by federal prosecutors. Another co-defendant's name remains redacted.
The owner of Danny's Tire Service faces federal kidnapping and fraud charges following Monday's law enforcement raid at his westside Corpus Christi business.
Victor Daniel Almaguer-Cantu, co-defendant Robert Luis Saldana, and an unnamed co-defendant allegedly lured a victim to the Baldwin Boulevard tire shop on March 14, 2025, through a fake Facebook Marketplace post offering $750 to transport tires, according to federal court documents unsealed this week in the Southern District of Texas.
When the victim, identified only as "C.O.B.," arrived at Danny's Tire Service, he was escorted into an office where two men locked the door behind him, the indictment states.
During a video call that Almaguer-Cantu allegedly made while the victim was detained, the tire shop owner accused C.O.B. of working for someone who had previously stolen from him. According to court documents, the victim told Almaguer-Cantu he was only there "to respond to an advertisement" and didn't know what Almaguer-Cantu was talking about.
The indictment describes how Almaguer-Cantu then instructed Saldana to "beat up C.O.B." Saldana allegedly struck the victim in the head, knocking him to the ground, and continued hitting him while Almaguer-Cantu remained on the video call.
In a second video call from a different office, Almaguer-Cantu allegedly claimed the tires were stolen and threatened that he could call the FBI and send C.O.B. to prison for several years.
The defendants then forced the victim into a vehicle and drove him to two Bank of America ATMs in Corpus Christi. At the first location on Mesquite Street, they forced him to withdraw the daily maximum of $2,000. At a second branch on South Alameda Street, after an initial withdrawal attempt was denied, one defendant entered the bank with C.O.B., pretending to be friends. The victim was forced to withdraw $4,000 in cash, which the defendant "immediately took," according to the indictment.
The group also drove C.O.B. to Zaman Jewelers at the Trade Center in Corpus Christi, forcing him to make a $10,000 purchase using his American Express credit card.
Federal prosecutors allege Almaguer-Cantu later used the victim's stolen personal information—including his social security number, email accounts, and bank account information—to open unauthorized credit lines worth approximately $2,325 with Acima Credit and $3,590 with Snap Finance. The indictment notes that Danny's Tire Service has maintained an account with Acima since 2018.
The defendants allegedly threatened physical harm to C.O.B.'s family if he closed the fraudulent accounts. Throughout the ordeal, they warned the victim "he would be killed if he did not smile and act normally while at the banks."
Almaguer-Cantu faces four federal charges: conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The kidnapping conspiracy charge carries a potential life sentence, while the other charges range from two to 20 years in prison.
Saldana faces two federal charges: conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The kidnapping conspiracy charge carries a potential life sentence, while the other charge has a maximum of five years in prison.
Tuesday, Almaguer-Cantu appeared before a magistrate judge for his initial court appearance via video conference. The government requested detention and asked for additional time to prepare, leading the court to grant a continuance of the detention hearing. Almaguer-Cantu was remanded to custody following the appearance, and his arraignment and detention hearing has been scheduled for October 3, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
The indictment indicates arrest warrants are pending. Danny's Tire Service operates four locations in Corpus Christi. Attempts to reach the business were unsuccessful.
