Police arrest two after woman found held in Palestine hotel room

Palestine, Texas – Police have arrested two individuals after a woman was found held against her will in a motel room early Friday morning.

On June 28, 2024, at approximately 2:19 a.m., Palestine Police Department (PPD) officers were dispatched to the Premier Inn at 2300 W. Oak St. in response to text messages received via the 911 system from a woman claiming she was being held by a man and requesting assistance. The text messages indicated that the victim was in the room with a man and a woman who were intoxicated and using methamphetamine. The victim reported being thrown onto the bed as she tried to leave and stated that she was scared. A caller also contacted dispatch, stating that the victim had made contact via social media and asked them to call police. A cell phone report confirmed that the victim’s phone was in the area.

Officers knocked on the room door but received no answer. Hotel staff informed them that the room was being rented by Cesilia Salinas, a 31-year-old woman wanted by Smith County on charges of drug possession and credit or debit card abuse, with bail totaling $500,000.

After several unsuccessful attempts to reach anyone in the room, the PPD’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called. The ERT knocked, announced their presence, and then broke down the door, arresting three individuals identified as Salinas, Amado Villanueva Gonzalez, 42, and the victim.

The victim said Gonzalez took her phone when she tried to call 911, preventing her from requesting emergency assistance. She also said Gonzalez stood between her and the door, pushing her away when she tried to leave and telling her to stay in bed. The victim said Salinas and Gonzalez were both high on methamphetamine and that Salinas was flushing methamphetamine down the toilet while officers tried to force the door open. Salinas was found hiding in the bathroom when officers entered.

Gonzalez was arrested and transported to the Anderson County Jail, where he was charged with obstructing a request for emergency assistance and unlawful confinement. Salinas was charged on Smith County warrants, according to a news release from the Palestine Police Department.