Cops: LI woman paid man to release daughter

A Staten Island man held a woman against her will for two days, extorting her for money that her mother in New Hyde Park paid and threatening to strangle the hostage unless he got more, Nassau County police said Wednesday.

The victim, 35, was freed unharmed Tuesday as police closed in on Rudy Santana, 30, police said.

The victim's ordeal began Sunday when she, Santana, and a mutual friend decided to have a drinking party, police said. She felt too intoxicated to drive home and stayed the night in Staten Island, police said. On Monday, Santana demanded $100 for the beer.

"She awakes and she's saying goodbye to the man. He says, 'Wait, you have to pay me for the drinking and the partying that we did last night,' " said Det. Lt. Raymond Coté, the supervisor of the Williston Park-based Third Squad.

The woman, who is from New Jersey, told Santana she didn't have the money but called her 62-year-old mother in New Hyde Park, who wired the money via Western Union, police said. He then demanded another $100, which was wired and paid, police said. Only when the man demanded $2,000 -- and threatened to strangle her if she tried to flee -- did she tell her mother about the threats, police said.

The mother called police and late Tuesday investigators came to the Richmond Terrace home and arrested Santana. "When we were closing in on the location, that's when she was able to tell him, 'Look, it's up, the police are here,' and he just said, 'Now you can go.' "

Santana was arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead on charges including grand larceny and attempted grand larceny. Judge Colin O'Donnell set bail of $100,000 cash or bond.

With Gary Dymski