back to article Teen kidnapped over Sony PSP

Perhaps exchanging used video games for an eighth their value in store credit isn't such a terrible idea after all. A 17-year-old lad from Utah discovered there's worse things than getting jerked around by retail after getting kidnapped in a PSP sale gone bad. Utah police say the boy on Saturday was forced into the car of 21- …

COMMENTS

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  1. Jesse Dorland
    Boffin

    Mac fans can learn from this

    You can say one thing for sony worshipers, they don't go out much. They'll live in their parents' basement, depend on mommy's like 9 years old girl, and somehow manage to save enough money to buy a overly priced video game. When they go out of the house -- which is like once a year thing, they'll get themselves into jailed for stepping out of the house.

    Sadly, mac fan wouldn't even fight a company who sells overly priced broken, and exploding gadgets for $1599.99.

  2. Bad Beaver
    Pint

    GTA SLC

    "But when it became apparent the car was headed into Salt Lake City, the victim became nervous and demanded to be let out."

    Finally, his impending doom dawned on him as Espinosa uttered: "You're going to SLC, bub!"

  3. James O'Brien
    WTF?

    Say What??

    "Espinosa-Arellano allegedly suggested they to go for a ride and the victim - apparently thinking he was in a video game himself - didn't have a major problem with this"

    Thinking he was in a video game?

    Seriously?

    Thinking he was in a fucking video game?

    For a kid this addicted and stupid why didnt the kidnappers send him off to a rehab facility instead of doing him and his family a disservice by letting him go back to the net/games?

    Gotta love the good ol' U S of A. Gotta love this country.

  4. Pete 2 Silver badge

    fork police?

    I know they have strange ways of handling their cutlery while eating - but police? sounds a bit extreme. Can't they just be tolerant of some people using utensils in different ways?

  5. Dan 7

    In a video game ?

    Why would the 17 year old think he was in a video game ??

  6. Beritknight

    So which is it?

    "Utah police say the boy on Saturday was forced into the car of 21-year-old Jose Espinosa-Arellano"

    or

    "During negations Espinosa-Arellano allegedly suggested they to go for a ride and the victim - apparently thinking he was in a video game himself - didn't have a major problem with this. But when it became apparent the car was headed into Salt Lake City, the victim became nervous and demanded to be let out."

    Was the victim forced into the car, or did he agree to get in voluntarily, and then sometime later get nervous and demand to be let out?

  7. Andus McCoatover
    Joke

    @fork police?/Pete 2

    They need cutlery to eat doughnuts? Wow.

    Thicko US police probably need a shotgun to eat Sushi. (Instructions: Put Sushi in barrel. Put latter in mouth. Activate release mechanism, near handle)

  8. Graham Dawson Silver badge
    FAIL

    @everyone latching on to "in a video game"

    Duh. This thing called sarcasm? Heard of it? Apparently not.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Grenade

    I have sympathy for the Purchaser in this case...

    "the Sony portable he purchased wasn't working as advertised."

    Sellers need to learn a lesson from this. Ripping people off is wrong!

    Problem is the law don't care until it turns into Vigilanty-ism...

  10. Greg J Preece

    Dear idiots

    I doubt the kid was actually reported as thinking he was in a video game. That's El Reg's comment on his stupidity. Which has led to my comment on yours. :-p

    Case closed.

    What? I'm ill today, so I'm cranky.

  11. AndyS

    @James O'Brian and Dan 7

    It's kind of like a figure of speech. It means he's stupid. We like to call it 'sarcasm' on this side of the pond.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'd be disgruntled too!

    He seems to have sold a non-working PSP to someone, and when they realised they came back and asked for a refund. Instead of being helpful, he just said 'It's nothing to do with me, i just arranged the sale with you and someone else"

    Presumably, he was being driven to the actual sellers address when he started getting nervous, and claimed the kidnapping.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Magic Underpants..

    "Espinosa-Arellano made comments to the victim that were "very concerning to the victim," making him feel "in grave danger.""

    Were the comments something along the lines of "Have you read the Book of Mormon?" Because it seems to me that the only real danger posed to hapless idiots that climb into cars voluntarily in Utah is they might be forced to read some magic plates or asked to share their testimonies*.

    *I know, but if you've ever been so hung over from magic mushrooms that you accidentally invited Mormon missionaries into your house, you'd understand what this means. Note to self.. make sure the teapot has regular tea in it rather than something else before you hand cups to visitors, they never see the funny side of this and having to spend several years in Amsterdam to avoid legal questions is less fun than it sounds.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Sony portable he purchased wasn't working

    So, what's your point? You seriously expected something different? Now you're playing at fantasy.

  15. J 3
    WTF?

    @Mac fans can learn from this

    I believe you seriously need professional help... Of the mental health kind. You are gravely ill and need treatment to your obsession, before becoming a danger to family, friends, and society.

    I mean, if you were at least flaming the objects of the article (PSP, Sony, buyer, seller, police, article author, whatever)...

  16. Serenity

    Plausible explanation from an underwhelming device

    Most of the time when my PSP doesn't work it's usuall because I haven't charged the battery in months....

  17. Mark Donnison
    Thumb Down

    He thought he was in a what?

    When you realise that journalism = creative writing you will stop getting excited by the outrageous things you read.

    'Forced into the car' - This was to add drama and danger to a rather dull story.

    'He thought he was in a video game' - this was the hack trying to prove that he is a comedic genius, to liven up a rather dull story.

    Russell Crowe has been reported, in the Engilsh press, as having been banned from every drinking establishment in the area in which his new film was being shot, for all sorts of rowdy behaviour. This turned out to be BS and the 'News'paper had to issue a formal climbdown and state that none of it was true. Even though there were eye witness accounts.

    Work on the assumption that every news article you read is 3/4 made up and you will not be too far off the mark.

  18. pAnoNymous
    WTF?

    it's the hespanic guy

    so it's all the coloured guys fault - when the other guy ripped him off and refused to give a refund - we have this "alleged" kidnapping - very convenient.

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