ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The six people allegedly involved in the kidnapping of two University of Rochester students, all wearing prison jumpsuits, appeared Friday in Rochester City Court.

Police say each had a role in what happened over the weekend of Dec. 5 - 6 to Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, two seniors.

Police say both Kollias and Ewo were kidnapped and held at gunpoint for 40 hours in a house on Harvest Street, and while there, both were beaten with fists, clubs and other objects.  Kollias was also shot in the leg. Police said both were also forced to give up their money, credit cards and pin numbers.

A SWAT team broke in Sunday and rescued them.

One by one, the defendants were called before the judge, where he told them they had all been indicted by a grand jury. Those proceedings are secret, so we expect to learn the exact charges when the grand jury is finished and reports its findings to the court. Now that all have been indicted by a grand jury, their cases move up to a higher court.

  • Ruth Lora and Inalia Rolldan, both 19, each face second degree kidnapping charges. Police say they were accomplices who watched over the students in the house and fed them.
  • Samantha Hughes, 19, and Leah Gigliotti, 20, were also indicted.  They face first degree kidnapping charges.
  • Dennis Perez, 23, who lives in the Harvest Street house, and Lydell Strickland were also indicted on first degree kidnapping charges.

Perez' attorney, Peter Pullano, says they know Perez has been indicted on at least one felony charge..  

"Mr. Perez is still waiting to see what exactly what the evidence against him is. I've spoken to him briefly and he asserts his innocence in court and publicly," Pullano said. "It's really a wait and see thing. Obviously, here is not the place and time to tell his story.  That will come at trial.

Strickland told the judge he wanted to fire his attorney, Joshua Stubbe, who he says worked on another case with him and had "jammed" him up. Strickland threatened to punch him. Stubbe, meanwhile, says he expects to stay on as his attorney.

"He's not cooperating because he's in a difficult situation.  It makes it more difficult but it's not unusual," Stubbe said.

"I feel sorry for the students, don't get me wrong. I'm not that type of person. I'm a lovable person. I believe my son. He's just, he got caught up in the wrong thing," said Calandra Ellis, Strickland's mother. "If he's a part of this, I forgive him."