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Friday, October 2, 2026 at 7:37 PM

Man charged with kidnapping, beating 3 youths

Man charged with kidnapping, beating 3 youths


Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

Sheriff’s deputies rescued three youths and arrested the man who was accused of kidnapping and beating them Tuesday evening.

The suspect, Guillermo Aboytes Saavedra, 23, was arrested on a variety of charges, including kidnapping, child abuse and battery.

Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mitch Brantingham said deputies investigating a call that initially came in at 6:17 p.m. from someone who said her brother had texted her that someone was threatening to kill him and she was driving around trying to find her brother.

Deputies were dispatched at 6:18 p.m. to the 200 block of Johnson Lane for a report of threats and the first units arrived at 6:23 p.m.

Brantingham said at 6:39 p.m., the victim’s phone pinged near the location of the suspect’s home.

“Those pings kind of come into an area, so deputies immediately went to that area and started looking around for these kids,” Brantingham said.

Brantingham said that at 6:46 p.m. the reporting party was able to pull up an application on her phone and track her brother’s phone, which helped deputies narrow their search area. At 6:55 p.m., the caller’s brother called dispatch, reporting that he was in a basement with two other youths, and that the suspect had beaten them.

“As that call is happening, deputies are already entering the yard where these kids were located, so it was like a simultaneous occurring of events,” Brantingham said. “The phone call is going into dispatch at that time, but the deputies hadn’t received that information yet.”

Brantingham said deputies detained the suspect while other deputies searching the property found some siding and a barricade up against the side of the house leading to the crawl space and found the victims at 6:59 p.m.

“They were able to move that stuff out of the way and gain access, where they found the three juveniles,” he said.

Two of the youths had received substantial injuries from the suspect striking them repeatedly with wooden tools. They reported that the suspect had taken one of the youth’s phones and threatened to kill him. All three youths were transported to a hospital for treatment.

“They did sustain what I would consider substantial injuries,” Brantingham said.

Saavedra was arrested and booked into the Lyon County jail on charges of robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, two counts of kidnapping with substantial bodily harm, false imprisonment, two counts of false imprisonment resulting in substantial bodily harm, three counts of child abuse and two counts of batter with a weapon resulting in substantial bodily injury.

After rescuing the kids and arresting Saavedra, Brantingham said deputies put together a timeline of events. The youths, who are elementary and middle school ages, were playing on the swings at the park located off Cory Way when Saavedra came out of nowhere with his fists balled up, asking one of them why he thinks he is so tough and telling them that he was a member of the Cartel.

The youth said Saavedra then slapped him in the face, telling them that he was not scared of jail and that if he went to jail, he was going to kill them. The youth said Saavedra then told them they were going to go for a walk and to act normal and not look at any cars. Saavedra then took them down an alleyway where he had them hop the fence into the back yard of 250 Johnson Lane.

“He used both coercion and low levels of force to make them leave the park with him,” Brantingham said.

The youth said Saavedra then took his phone and told him to unlock his phone and delete everything he had on there. He said Saavedra used his phone to record while he beat them, before forcing them into the crawl space under the house. The youths were continually removed from the crawl space and beaten.

Brantingham said investigators are looking for security camera footage and any witnesses who may have seen either what happened or the victims and suspect moving from one location to the other.

LCSO said Saavedra was previously known to law enforcement. Brantingham said there were no active warrants for him at the time of the case, but he was arrested in January on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and in April on a charge of failure to appear after posting bail for a misdemeanor. The assault with a deadly weapon case was recently assigned to Third Judicial District Court in Yerington.

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Comment author: PFB Comment text: Why can't you guys find competent contractors.. For a large municipal facility like the indoor-outdoor Fernley Swimming Pool located at 300 Cottonwood Lane, a complete ground-up commercial build or major structural renovation typically spans 6 to 12 months or longer when factoring in large-scale engineering, public municipal permitting, specialized commercial HVAC/roofing, and health department inspections. The current renovation has been- The Fernley Swimming Pool has been closed for approximately six to seven months since late February 2026 for a major roof replacement and facility renovation. Now you sat October. Soooo 8 months for a new roof. The picture shows no other renovations. Comment publication date: 9/17/26, 7:14 PM Comment source: Electrical problem delays Fernley pool opening Comment author: P Comment text: Relative of the Mayor is to over see this site. Anyone who knows Fernley KNOWS this is more of the who you are related to and know business in this town. VOTE THEM ALL OUT AND THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPLANTS. Comment publication date: 9/16/26, 10:31 PM Comment source: Lift Station Failure Released Untreated Sewage Comment author: Christopher Walsh Comment text: Could you look into the strong recurring smell around Fernley? It smells like sewage and it can be bad enough that people don’t want to be outside or open their windows. It would be helpful to get an investigative journalist help the Fernley residents get a clear answer from the City, NDEP, and any involved facilities. I was really disappointed that the smell was not disclosed by my realtor when I moved here. I enjoy Fernley and am seeing the improvements that are being made. With Appreciation Comment publication date: 9/12/26, 2:49 PM Comment source: Sewage spill near City of Fernley Municipal Well 9 Comment author: Alicia Euresti Comment text: We are all so blessed to have Pastor Matt and Mrs. Regina in this town. They have become a major part of pur family and our children adore them. Thank you both for all you do for qll of us. We love you!!!! Comment publication date: 9/6/26, 9:24 PM Comment source: Fascinating Fernley: Meet Your Neighbors at Living Faith Food Pantry Comment author: R Conley Comment text: Is the deputy receiving any additional training or reinforcing prior training? Comment publication date: 9/5/26, 10:08 AM Comment source: Inmate escapes from Fernley substation Comment author: Kayla Allen Comment text: Suzie was a wonderful woman. I was pleased to call her my "godmother" as she helped me to become a better version of myself. I think about her a lot. Comment publication date: 7/10/26, 8:31 PM Comment source: Susanne Lynn Foster