Three people have been arrested during the frantic search for kidnapped American YouTuber Elliot Eastman.
Eastman, 26, was shot in the leg and kidnapped by armed men who posed as police officers and chased him away on a speedboat on the evening of October 17.
“Based on their statements, the three in custody were directly involved in the kidnapping of the American citizen,” Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said.
The arrested persons identified three more accomplices who are still at large. Police said they believe Eastman is with them and alive.
Two of the suspects surrendered separately and pointed to a third suspect, who was arrested in Sibuco, police officials said.
Three people have been arrested during the search for kidnapped American YouTuber Elliot Eastman
Criminal complaints for kidnapping were filed against the six suspects on Tuesday.
“We believe he is still alive, so our operations continue,” regional police spokesperson Lt. Col. Helen Galvez told The Associated Press by phone. “Our search won’t end until we find him.”
Vermont-born Eastman shared his life online after moving to the southern Philippines, where he married a local Muslim woman in Sibuco.
The FBI has also been deployed to assist the Southeast Asian country in the search.
They interviewed his wife Karisha Jala, who lived with Eastman in a concrete hut owned by his father-in-law.
The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement: “When a U.S. citizen goes missing, we work closely with local authorities in their search efforts and do everything we can to keep lines of communication open with families.
“The Department of State has no higher priority than the well-being and safety of American citizens abroad.
‘Eastman was home with his wife when four armed men burst through the door last Thursday evening.
American YouTuber Elliot Eastman (right) is suspected of being kidnapped from a remote Philippine village on Thursday, just months after he married a local woman (left)
Police in the town of Sibuco in the southern province of Zamboanga del Norte attempted to pursue the suspected kidnappers and their victim, following the reported kidnapping on Thursday evening
“The attackers falsely claimed that they were previously police took him away in a speedboat off the coast of Zamboanga del Norte – one of the most dangerous parts of the country.
Local police arrived around 11 p.m. and took photographs of the suspected crime scene.
Blood believed to be from Eastman’s gunshot wound was smeared on the floor, and an empty bullet cartridge from an M16 rifle was also seen next to everyday items including a hat, purse and food.
Former Sibuco mayor Norbideiri Edding said kidnappers may have targeted the American because they thought he was a wealthy foreigner.
He also claimed that Eastman had fallen on hard times financially after allegedly being scammed by his previous girlfriend whom he planned to marry.
Other reports have suggested his wife’s former partner is a person of interest in the case, with locals saying he may have wanted to rekindle the romance.
Just weeks before he was kidnapped, Eastman posted on a Facebook livestream that he was afraid of living in the area, where police say he had been for five months.
Eastman had recently married a local woman Karisha Jala, who lived with him in a concrete hut owned by his father-in-law
Eastman will be featured in one of his YouTube livestreams on October 16. The attackers falsely claimed to be police before taking him away in a speedboat off the coast of Zamboanga del Norte – one of the most dangerous parts of the country.
Eastman’s disappearance has sparked a frantic search by both domestic law enforcement and the FBI
“As long as I’m here, my life is still in danger, you know,” Eastman said on September 22.
‘That’s the reality. especially the area I’m in. It’s not even just the Philippines.
“This area I’m in looks like the most dangerous area in the country, so it literally looks like the red zone.”