Hispanic pleads guilty in kidnap of Columbia Sportswear Chairwoman Gert Boyle

Nestor Gabriel Caballero Gutierrez, 40, admitted to burglary, robbery, kidnapping and assault in Clackamas County Circuit Court and faces 14 1/2 years in prison. Asked to confirm that he admitted his crimes, Caballero Gutierrez answered yes, while shaking his head no. His plea before Presiding Judge Robert D. Herndon came at the end of three negotiation sessions and after a break earlier in the day when Caballero Gutierrez conferred by telephone with his wife. Two co-conspirators faced similar charges, except for the assault count. Jose Luis Arevalo, 47, had previously pleaded guilty and will be sentenced to almost six years in prison. Ramon Alberto Midence, 40, also agreed to plead guilty but the offer was withdrawn. Caballero Gutierrez and Midence are from Honduras. Aravelo is from Guatemala. Guilty pleas by all three men would close the case on the bizarre attempt to kidnap the 87-year-old Boyle, whose "Tough Mother" image became the cornerstone of Columbia Sportswear's marketing efforts. When Boyle returned home in the early evening of Nov. 10, 2010 Caballero Gutierrez approached her with a gift basket and asked her to autograph a book. He then pulled out a handgun and forced her inside. Boyle told Caballero Gutierrez she had to disable the home alarm system. Instead, she pushed the silent panic button, alerting the alarm service and, in turn, the police. Caballero Gutierrez ran out the back door and jumped off a deck. He fell about 25 feet, then ran. A West Linn officer spotted him, muddy and bedraggled, at a nearby McDonald's. At trial, Caballero Gutierrez would have confronted damning evidence. When police caught him, Caballero Gutierrez had some of Boyle's jewelry. Arevalo and Midence were also scheduled to testify against him.