Woman Disguises Herself as ICE Agent to Kidnap Ex-Boyfriend's Wife: Police

It all went down on April 10, per the Panama City News Herald, when Latrance Battle, 52, walked into a Days Inn sporting a black zip-up jacket, balck pants, black hat, and white face mask. Inside, she found the victim, who was employed there behind the counter.

When asked if she would like a room, Battle allegedly unzipped her jacket to reveal "ICE" printed on a black shirt and produced a "Sheriff's Office" card that ID'd her as an ICE agent, according to the Herald.

The victim later told authorities she was frightened that more ICE agents would be called in to her place of employment if she didn't comply when Battle told her, so she told her boss what was happening and voluntarily left the hotel with Battle.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office revealed in a press release received by the newspaper that the victim was in the process of becoming a legal U.S. resident, which is why she was nervous about not complying with what she perceived as a federal agent.

The suspect allegedly had Battle get into the back seat of her vehicle and told her she would be taking her to the sheriff's office, per the Herald. When the victim tried to use her phone to contact her lawyer and husband, Battle purportedly took her phone and refused to return it, telling her she could make her one phone call when they arrived.

But they did not arrive, as Battle instead drove past the station. All the while, the victim told police that Battle appeared to be communicating on a handheld radio with other "ICE agents" -- or so she believed. When they missed the turn-off to the station, but Battle told her they were going to a different BCSO location in Panama City Beach.

According to the victim, Battle was "talking bad" about her husband, and even telling the victim she would have to "suffer the consequences" of her husband's actions, per court documents reviewed by the outlet.

Again, they did not go where the suspect anticipated, with Battle telling her while on the Hathaway Bridge that they were instead going to be meeting additional ICE agents at an apartment complex nearby. When they arrived, she was allegedly told to go to a specific unit.

The victim reported noticed a "clear tackle box and other stuff" in Battle's trunk upon arrival, per the court filings. She said that Battle then left her and ran to the apartment, where she heard "a lot of noise like she was moving stuff around or talking to someone," as reported by the Herald.

At this point, the victim reportedly took advantage of her opportunity and walked quickly to a bystander, asking if she could use his phone to contact actual law enforcement. According to the filings, she appeared to hide behind the bystander's vehicle when Battle returned, with the suspect allegedly asking the bystander if he saw a woman running.

The Herald reports that the bystander asked Battles why she took the victim's phone, to which the suspect responded, "She knows what she did."

Battles than reportedly moved her car in front of another building, while the bystander told the victim she could wait in his apartment for police to arrive. In the meantime, the victim also called her husband. When she described the "ICE agent" to him, he told her it sounded like his ex-girlfriend.

The responding sheriff's deputy was able to confirm that Battles lived in the building. The victim's husband then arrived and told the deputy that he had an injunction against Battle for "issues they had in the past," per Fox affiliate WOFL, with the most recent occurring about two years prior.

Records show that Battle is on felony probation for aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, according to the Herald, and that there is a filing against her for "dating violence" from 2022.

She was ultimately located -- telling police she was on her way to Alabama -- and arrested on charges of robbery by sudden snatching without a weapon, kidnapping in commission of a felony, impersonating an official, and felony violation of probation.

Her first arraignment is set for May 29 and she has been ordered to have no contact with the victim. She was being held in the Bay County Jail as of April 24, according to inmate records, without bond.