Armed suspect sought out Mike Bloomberg’s daughters after breaking onto grounds of Colorado ranch, kidnapping housekeeper
An armed suspect accused of breaking onto the grounds of a Colorado ranch owned by former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and then kidnapping the housekeeper was searching for the billionaire’s daughters, prosecutors said.
Joseph Beecher allegedly plowed his truck through the ranch’s front gate Wednesday morning. Once on the property he encountered a female worker, Amanda Edinger, and demanded to know whether Bloomberg’s daughters were there, claiming that he wanted to “make an international scene.” Beecher then forced her to drive from the property in Meeker — in the western part of the state — to the Denver area and north to Wyoming, according to court documents.
The Bloombergs were not at the ranch.
Edinger told investigators that at one point, Beecher kissed her on the forehead and told her he would kill her if she were a man, according to an arrest affidavit. He additionally allegedly forced her to withdraw money from an ATM. The 48-year-old suspect also claimed he had gone to the local airport over the summer in search of the 79-year-old billionaire businessman.
She also said he referred to Bloomberg’s daughters by name when he asked about their whereabouts. The former presidential candidate has two adult daughters, Emma and Georgina.
Beecher was ultimately arrested Thursday, after investigators tracked Edinger’s iPad to a motel in Cheyenne. He was armed with an AR-15 and a handgun at the time.
The sheriff’s office in Rio Blanco County, where the ranch is located, said in a statement that Beecher had no connection to the Bloombergs or the alleged victim. His motive for going to the ranch, purchased in April 2020 for $44.8 million, remains under investigation.
Beecher lives in Craig, Colo., about 70 miles from Bloomberg’s ranch. He worked as a handyman at an apartment complex and received housing in exchange for his work but recently learned he would lose his job and would need to leave the building, according to an arrest affidavit.
He was being held in Cheyenne. No state charges have been filed against him yet in Wyoming but he was charged with kidnapping in federal court Thursday.
With News Wire Services
