Enver Zueros, 35, sentenced to 50 years after kidnapping a 89-year-old woman in Summerville
A California man who terrorised an 89-year-old Summerville woman in a chilling kidnapping plot has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Enver Zueros, 35, pleaded guilty on Monday to kidnapping and first-degree burglary after prosecutors detailed how he bound, sprayed, and attempted to smother the elderly victim before forcing her into a car. First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe announced the conviction, calling the crime one of the most disturbing cases of elder abuse his office has seen.
The ordeal began on 9 March 2025. According to investigators, Zueros approached the victim’s home in Summerville with a fabricated story about losing a football in her backyard. Once inside, he unleashed bear spray on the woman, duct-taped her wrists and ankles, and prepared to take her hostage.
Embed from Getty ImagesA neighbour, who routinely helped take her rubbish bin to the curb, saw Zueros inside the home. When questioned, Zueros lied, claiming the elderly woman had suffered a fall and was in hospital. Suspicious, the neighbour left to retrieve a firearm. In those brief moments, Zueros forced his victim into her car, shoving her into the rear floorboards before speeding off.
The Summerville Police Department and North Charleston Police Department, aided by the FBI, launched a frantic search. Within hours, they identified Zueros as the prime suspect. He was already out on bond in California for attempted murder at the time of the South Carolina attack.
Prosecutors said the motive appeared to involve money, as Zueros had ties to the victim’s brother through a marriage arrangement and had been seeking financial support. Instead, he turned on the elderly woman in a violent extortion attempt.
The victim was eventually found alive in North Charleston. She was discovered restrained with duct tape and a plastic bag over her head, still inside her vehicle. Authorities described her survival as “remarkable,” given the circumstances.
Zueros was tracked down and arrested the following day in Aiken County. He was charged with kidnapping, burglary, and attempted murder.
On Monday, he stood before Judge Heath Taylor and admitted his guilt. The judge handed down a 30-year sentence for kidnapping and 20 years for burglary, to run consecutively — totalling 50 years behind bars. Chief Deputy Solicitor Kelly LaPlante prosecuted the case, ensuring that the punishment reflected the gravity of the attack.
“This defendant preyed on one of our most vulnerable residents,” Pascoe said in a statement. “The brutality of this crime is staggering. It is only thanks to the quick actions of law enforcement and a concerned neighbour that the victim is alive today.”
The sentencing brings closure to a case that sent shockwaves through the Summerville community. Residents expressed horror that such a violent crime could target an elderly woman in her own home. One neighbour described the victim as “kind, gentle, and fiercely independent,” adding that the attack had left many shaken.
The conviction also highlights cooperation between local police, federal authorities, and prosecutors across state lines. Pascoe praised the joint effort, noting that Zueros was identified “almost immediately” thanks to coordinated investigative work.
Now serving what amounts to a life sentence, Zueros will remain in prison until old age. The elderly survivor continues to recover from both the physical and emotional scars of the ordeal — scars left by a man who once stood just metres from her front door, pretending to search for a football.