A 22-year-old Wisconsin man is facing three felony charges and a $2 million bail after police say he abducted a woman who turned down his romantic advances.
Angelo Liberto of Franklin was booked on May 31. He faces charges of attempted second-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, and false imprisonment, all with a dangerous weapon enhancement.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim met Liberto through a mutual friend back in September 2025. They went on a few dates, but she eventually told him she only wanted to be friends. Things escalated when he showed up at her house at 1 a.m. several days before the attack, prompting her to text him that he had “crossed boundaries.”
On May 29, the two planned to meet at a bar after work. Liberto allegedly convinced the woman to get into the back seat of his car to retrieve a gift. She noticed chocolates and lotion in the back, but then Liberto drove off and pulled over at an unfamiliar location.
That’s when he pulled out a gun and told her she “should’ve been scared.”
The complaint states they struggled, and Liberto admitted the gun wasn’t loaded. He then pulled a knife, demanded her phone, and forced her to put on handcuffs he had in the car. As she told him he was “really scaring” her, Liberto accused her of “seeing other people” and called her “a liar and a bitch.”
While this was happening, the woman managed to grab her phone. Even though it was on airplane mode, she was eventually able to reach 911 and attempted to call her mother and a friend. Meanwhile, Liberto was allegedly telling her how “perfect” she was.
During the drive, Liberto allegedly said they were going to a “lake house” and threatened to assault her. He refused to take off the handcuffs. When she asked what would happen after the lake house, Liberto reportedly replied that he didn’t know.
“The defendant stated that is why people kill people because they do bad things and they get scared that they will get caught and people have to kill them,” the complaint details. Liberto then allegedly told her, “We are at the point of no return.”
The victim told investigators she feared for her life.
The terrifying ride ended at 11 p.m. when Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputies pulled the car over for a traffic stop and rescued the woman.
A search of Liberto’s vehicle uncovered a disturbing list of items. Investigators found duct tape, a handgun case, handcuffs, a hacksaw, erectile dysfunction pills, a tarp, bondage restraints, a hogtie kit, gloves, headlamps, an unopened package of women’s underwear, lubricant, condoms, chain, hydrogen peroxide, a shovel, a wrecking bar, and a clear odorless liquid.
Liberto appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on June 9. His bail originally sat at $200,000 but was quickly bumped up to $2 million.
Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Matthew James Torbenson explained the hike in court. Torbenson said Liberto “told another inmate he wanted to hurt the victim even further” and that the “cellmate also indicated that this defendant made statements to him, fully admitting to the crime as outlined in the criminal complaint.”
Torbenson later confirmed the bail was raised “due to statements he made to an inmate regarding finishing what he started if he were released.”
Liberto’s defense attorney, Chris Carson, pushed back against those claims.
“The thing is, her claiming that does not make it true,” Carson said, noting that “everyone is innocent until proven guilty.” He added that his client adamantly denies any wrongdoing.
If convicted, Liberto faces heavy penalties. The kidnapping charge alone carries up to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The sexual assault charge could add 20 years and $50,000, while the false imprisonment charge brings a maximum of six years and a $10,000 fine.
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