Former Prosser Kidnapper Sent to State Mental Hospital
After several years of refusing to adhere to court mandated treatment programs, a man deemed mentally unstable has been committed to Eastern State Hospital in Medial Lake.
Five years after he was arrested and found guilty of kidnapping to people at a funeral, Rudolfo Hurtado, 30, has been found to be a threat to the safety of the community and himself.
Hurtado kidnapped two men at gunpoint after handcuffing them at the funeral of the mother of a friend in 2012. According to court documents and the Tri-City Herald, Hurtado believed one of the victims was pointing a video camera at him, threatening him and he believed the Mexican Mafia was trying to kill him.
He has been diagnosed with possible schizophrenia, but his attorneys at that time argued to keep him free. An insanity plea usually gets an automatic commitment to the state hospital, but his attorneys were able to get him a treatment program.
At the time of the kidnapping, Hurtado claimed he was a law enforcement officer. But a friend of his became suspicious of his behavior and alerted Prosser police officer who then arrested him.
Officials say his five years have been marred by drug use, failure to take medications and parole violations. It is likely he could be under state care in the hospital for the rest of his life.