Round Rock fugitive arrested in Lockhart

By LPR Staff

Editor/POST-REGISTER

An Austin woman was arrested without incident in Lockhart on Monday, after being sought in connection with kidnapping and burglary charges.

The suspect, 19-year-old Ismely Yaima Fundura is accused of participating in a plot to lure a man into a Round Rock home where he was later robbed.

Alleged to be an

exotic dancer, the woman is thought to have singled out the victim at a “gentlemen’s club,” and lured the victim with a promise to perform private dances and other services. When he arrived at the home, two male accomplices approached him with machetes, threatening his life to force him into the home and rob him of his cash and personal possessions, according to US Marshal Hector Gomez, of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force.

It is unclear what brought Fundura to Lockhart, Gomez said, but he believes she was attempting to distance herself from her accomplices, and was simply “hiding out” with friends. The others involved in the incident are not believed to be in the area.

Because of the nature of the setup of the crime, Gomez said he expected the ongoing investigation to reveal other victims who chose not to come forward. The others involved, including another exotic dancer who may have “referred” the victim to Fundura, are still being sought for questioning.

After being taken into custody, Fundura was transferred to the custody of detectives from the Round Rock Police Department, who returned her to Williamson County where she will face felony charges in District Court.

A second woman at the Tonkawa Trail residence, Valerie Tokola, was also taken into custody, on unrelated charges tied to outstanding warrants for Injury to a Child and Failure to Appear. She was being held in the Caldwell County Jail on Tuesday.

The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force is a cooperative effort of law enforcement agencies across Central Texas.

Anyone with knowledge or suspicion of crime or fugitives in their area is encouraged to contact the local police or sheriff’s department, or to call 9-1-1.