TUCSON, Ariz. — The recordings of several 911 calls made in December in connection with the torture and kidnapping of a former beauty queen’s ex-boyfriend were released by Tucson police.
Kumari Fulbright, a former Miss Pima County and current University of Arizona law school student, was indicted on Dec. 18 on felony charges of armed robbery, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and two counts of aggravated assault related to allegedly holding her 24-year-old ex-boyfriend hostage.
Sgt. Fabian Pacheco of the Tucson Police Department told FOXNews.com that investigators believe an argument over missing jewelry led to the incident. The man’s injuries included bite marks, swollen hands and wrists with marks from being tied up, he said.
On the recordings, posted on azstarnet.com on Tuesday, callers report hearing a gunshot, as well as a man screaming for help.
One 911 caller, according to the tapes, reported hearing a man yelling, “help, banging on a door and yelling, no, no.”
The 25-year-old, midway through her second year in law school, faces a long prison term if convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated assault.
Fulbright was released on a $50,000 bond shortly after being booked on Dec. 9. Fulbright’s next court hearing will be on Feb. 12.
Police also were seeking two other suspects, another boyfriend of Fulbright, Robert Ergonis, 44, and his brother, Michael Ergonis, 46. Tucson police were looking to serve them with arrest warrants charging them with kidnapping, armed robbery and aggravated assault but believe they may have fled the country.
“Through the course of our investigation, we were able to determine that at least Robert Ergonis may have traveled to Colombia, so he may have returned or gone somewhere else,” Pacheco said.
Police say Fulbright invited the victim to her apartment in a single-story midtown duplex and excused herself to shower after he arrived.
The Ergonis brothers then showed up and bound him with plastic cable ties and duct tape, accused him of taking the jewelry and threatened to shoot him with pistols.
Fulbright finished her shower, dressed and returned to join in the threats.
She allegedly bit the man on his forearm, right hand and ear, and she stuck a butcher knife in his ear and told him she was going to kill him.
After a time, they took him to Hammond’s house elsewhere in the city, where the assault continued, then returned him to Fulbright’s house and left him tied up with Fulbright holding him with a handgun. At some later point, the victim freed a hand and grabbed the gun, which discharged but hit no one.
As their struggle spilled outside, the man screamed for help, then ran to a home down the block, while Fulbright returned to her apartment.
A police complaint said the suspects stole the victim’s wallet, money clip with $500 to $600, his cell phone and brief case.