Fargo woman found chained to bed after maintenance worker hears cries
Police rescued a woman from an apartment where she was held captive for two years by her ex-husband and another woman.
By Justin Brooks ·
Fargo police rescued a woman from an apartment on Tuesday after a maintenance technician heard her calling for help. The worker entered the unit and found the victim secured to a bedframe with a chain and padlock around her right ankle. A security camera was positioned to watch her, and tin foil covered the bedroom windows.
The woman, who did not speak English, was interviewed by officers through a language service line. She told investigators she had been in Fargo since 2024, when her ex-husband, Arturo Calzada Becerril, brought her from Mexico. According to her account, she had not left the apartment for two years. Her captors provided food twice daily but restricted her movement, providing a bucket for her to use as a toilet.
Medical staff at the hospital treated bruising on her face and body. While she was being examined, 41-year-old Erendira Amoles arrived at the apartment with her 8-year-old daughter. Amoles was later taken into custody as well.
Calzada Becerril, 40, told investigators that the three of them were from the same town in Mexico. He stated he locked the woman up to prevent her from running away. Amoles told police she was the one who usually locked the victim in the room. Both men and women were arrested on charges of kidnapping and assault and booked into the Cass County Jail.
The case came to light due to the routine work of the building staff. The maintenance technician reported the sound of crying to police, prompting the immediate response that freed the woman. Border Patrol assisted local authorities during the investigation. The victim remains in the hospital for further care.
Court documents detail the physical evidence found in the apartment, including the specific locking mechanism on the bed and the reflective material on the windows. The investigation confirmed the timeline provided by the victim regarding her arrival in Fargo and the duration of her confinement. Both suspects are currently in custody in Cass County.
