Mother of Omaha boys allegedly kidnapped believes their actions may have saved their lives

OMAHA, Neb. —

It’s a call no parent wants to get. Omaha Police say two young brothers were kidnapped at gunpoint Saturday.

19-year-old Juantez Ruffin and 18-year-old James Barnes are charged with kidnapping and child abuse.

“I was nervous and worried,” 10-year-old Sevyn Snoddy told KETV Wednesday. “I didn’t think I was going to make it home.”

READ MORE: Two teens arrested after alleged kidnapping of children in Omaha

Sevyn and his nine-year-old brother Skylur walked down a hill to a local corner store when police say Ruffin and Barnes approached them.

“He’s about to be 11, and he’s about to be 10. They know how to get to and from home, safely, fast,” their mother, Zonetta Amerson, said.

The boys and men made it all the way to Saddle Creek and Cuming, where police found them.

“Shoutout to Omaha Police Department for doing their jobs, and I really appreciate it, and I’m just happy to have my kids back home,” Amerson said.

Omaha Police say the young men tried to involve the boys in a crime and wouldn’t let them go if they didn’t cooperate. Police also say they found an AR-15 rifle in the car.

“As a mom, I’m angry, I’m mad, I’m upset, I’m furious,” Amerson said.

Amerson believes the way her sons reacted might’ve saved their lives.

“Teach your kids the protocols on what to do when their life is in danger,” Amerson said. “I don’t think they reacted or put up a fight. I think that they stayed calm.”

“I stayed calm,” Sevyn said. “And I didn’t… make a scene or anything.”

Ruffin and Barnes had their court hearing Monday. They’re each being held on a $10 million bond.

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