Published
Tue, Oct 8, 2013, 16:30
- The four members of the Spanish group are OK after a scare in which criminals tried to extort money from their families.
The four members of Spanish outfit Delorean have been released after being kidnapped in Mexico.
The band were in Mexico City to perform at the tenth edition of MUTEK Mexico, which ran from September 30th through October 6th. According to Spanish daily El País, the group, which consists of Ekhi Lopetegi, Guillermo Astrain, Igor Escudero and Unai Lazcano, were subjected to a "virtual kidnapping," where criminals use threats to extort money from worried families.
In this case, it's believed the kidnappers called Delorean purporting to be Mexican authorities, telling them to leave their hotel room for security reasons. They then placed a call to members of the band's families and demanded a ransom. When the band reached the location they were sent to, they had their phones taken. Speaking to El País, Mexican police say the band are now safe but their precise location has not been revealed.
Delorean's sometime collaborator and fellow Spaniard John Talabot has cancelled his forthcoming tour of Mexico as a result of the incident.
Additional reporting by Philipa Bruns