2 men are convicted of kidnapping woman and her son, 5, for ransom

Two men were convicted Wednesday in Orange County of kidnapping and holding for ransom a Brazilian woman and her young son trying to join her husband in Florida, who had paid for their journey across the border.

Reynaldo Junior Eid, 48, of New York City and Alaor Docarmo Oliveira Jr., 54, of Danbury, Conn., were found guilty in a Santa Ana courtroom of two felony counts of kidnapping for ransom. Authorities arrested the men in November in Costa Mesa, where they were keeping the two victims at a motel and demanding more money for their release.

A Brazilian identified only as Jefferson R. paid human traffickers $14,000 in fall 2005 to bring his wife and then-5-year-old son from Sao Paulo, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case. The construction worker, then 25, lived in Coral Springs, Fla., on an expired tourist visa, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Andre Manssourian.

Victims Ana R., then 24, and Iago R. flew to Mexicali, Mexico, meeting smugglers who sneaked them into Southern California, Manssourian said.

Eid and Oliveira picked the victims up at a Costa Mesa gas station Nov. 21, the prosecutor said, then took them to a Travelodge on Newport Boulevard and insisted on $14,000 more from Jefferson R.

Several days later, the men threatened to enslave Ana R. in New York as payment. When the smugglers slammed the door on an Orange County acquaintance of Jefferson R. who visited the motel to help the victims escape, she called the police.

Authorities intercepted Eid and Oliveira trying to flee with the mother and boy, who were unharmed. The family is now living in Florida and plans to apply for a special visa that allows human trafficking victims to remain in the United States.

Eid and Oliveira could face life in prison. Their sentencing is scheduled May 30 in Santa Ana.

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susannah.rosenblatt @latimes.com