Two people face kidnapping and assault charges after a maintenance worker heard the woman calling for help during a routine visit.
FARGO, N.D. — A maintenance worker who heard cries for help during a routine visit to a Fargo apartment building found a woman chained to a bed, leading police to arrest two people in a case authorities say involved prolonged confinement.
The woman told investigators she had been held against her will for about two years after being brought to Fargo from Mexico in 2024, according to court documents cited by local news organizations. Police arrested Arturo Calzada-Becerril, 40, of Fargo, and Erendira Amoles, 41, of Moorhead, Minnesota. Cass County jail records list both on a felony kidnapping charge involving an adult victim. Calzada-Becerril also faces a domestic violence assault charge involving bodily injury, while Amoles faces a simple assault charge. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Fargo police said officers responded Nov. 3 to an apartment building in the 4900 block of 44th Avenue South after receiving a report of suspicious activity. Police said a maintenance worker had entered an apartment for routine service and discovered an adult woman in a bedroom who appeared to have been held against her will for an extended period. The department described the case as an active investigation and said detectives were still working to determine the full circumstances surrounding the woman’s confinement.
According to court documents reported by Valley News Live, the maintenance worker heard someone calling for help and found the woman inside a bedroom. A security camera was pointed toward the bed, and foil covered the bedroom windows. A responding officer reported finding a chain and padlock secured around the woman’s ankle, with the other end attached to the bed. Officers removed the restraint before interviewing her with the assistance of a language service and taking her to a hospital.
The woman identified Calzada-Becerril as her former husband and told investigators he brought her to Fargo from Mexico in 2024, according to the court records. She said she had not been allowed outside for about two years. She told investigators that Calzada-Becerril brought her food twice a day and that she was forced to use a bucket because she could not leave the bedroom to use a bathroom. She said she had initially been allowed out of the bedroom at times but that those occasions eventually stopped.
Investigators reported observing bruising on the woman’s face and body. She also alleged that Calzada-Becerril and Amoles had physically and sexually assaulted her during her confinement. Those accusations remain allegations and have not been established at trial. Police have not publicly released the woman’s identity, and available reports do not provide a detailed public update on her condition after she was taken to a hospital.
Amoles arrived at the apartment after officers had found the woman, according to court documents reported by Valley News Live. Investigators said Amoles acknowledged that she regularly locked the woman up and said she had restrained her that day before leaving to pick up her child from school because she believed the woman would otherwise leave. Calzada-Becerril told investigators that he also kept the woman restrained so she would not run away, according to the records.
Calzada-Becerril and Amoles gave investigators their own allegations about the woman, saying she had previously assaulted them and on one occasion approached them with a knife, according to court records. Authorities have not publicly said those claims justify or explain the alleged confinement. Police said U.S. Border Patrol personnel were also at the scene as investigators worked with the Cass County State’s Attorney’s Office.
At the defendants’ first court appearance Nov. 6, a judge set bond at $500,000 for each defendant, according to local court reporting. Prosecutors said the woman is a U.S. citizen and alleged that her confinement was connected to efforts by the defendants to obtain immigration benefits. That claim is an allegation by prosecutors and has not been established as fact. Prosecutors also indicated that additional charges could be considered as investigators continued reviewing the case.
Neighbors interviewed by local reporters said they had not known a woman was allegedly being confined inside the apartment. The discovery came only after the maintenance worker entered the unit during routine work and heard her calls for help. Fargo police have said the investigation remains active as officers continue gathering evidence and working to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged two-year confinement. Cass County jail records continued to list Calzada-Becerril and Amoles in custody as of Nov. 10.
Author note: Last updated November 10, 2026.