MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Two men charged with kidnapping a 16-year-old Two Rivers girl had their preliminary hearing rescheduled to January 8 after appearing in Manitowoc County court Thursday seeking more time to find attorneys.
Online court records show Alexcer Solis Gomez, 22, and Pedro Giron Perez, 33, both appeared from custody via video conference with the assistance of a Spanish interpreter during the brief hearing before Judge Jerilyn Dietz.
Both defendants told the court they are still working on finding attorneys and requested to wait until one is appointed or retained before proceeding with the hearing.
The preliminary hearings are now scheduled for January 8, 2026, at 2 p.m. in Branch 2 of the Manitowoc County Courthouse.
The men are charged with abduction of a child-taking as a party to a crime, a Class E felony, stemming from the alleged kidnapping of the Two Rivers teenager in November.
Court records show Solis Gomez lists an address in Shafter, California, while Giron Perez lists an address in Wasco, California.
Both defendants are being held on $500,000 cash bail set during their initial appearance in December. Court commissioner Patricia Koppa had said she could not "in good conscience set less than $500,000 cash bail under these circumstances."
According to a criminal complaint, police were called to a home on Forest Avenue in Two Rivers on November 28 after the victim's sister reported her missing. A witness saw the victim leave with a man around 3 p.m.
Investigators tracked the victim's phone to Iowa and then Nebraska. Wyoming Highway Patrol stopped the suspects' vehicle on Interstate 80 between Laramie and Rawlins, where the missing girl was found inside.
Prosecutors allege Solis Gomez told Wyoming troopers he was paid $1,500 by someone named Eduardo to pick up the victim. Both men allegedly told police they were hired to transport the victim to Utah. Prosecutors also believe a possible assault of the victim took place in Iowa based on police reports, and that the kidnapping was part of a larger human trafficking operation.
If released, both defendants face strict conditions including no drugs or alcohol, prohibition from leaving the state, no contact with each other, and no contact with the victim or her parents.
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