The spouse of Fort Lauderdale resident Ana Knezevich, who disappeared in Spain, has been taken into custody.
David Knezevich was apprehended at Miami International Airport on Saturday in connection with the alleged kidnapping of an American citizen in Madrid on or around February 2, 2024.
Florida Man Charged in Wife's Kidnapping
U.S. federal agents have charged the estranged spouse of a Florida woman who vanished in Spain three months ago with her abduction.
David Knezevich was apprehended at Miami International Airport by the FBI and other federal authorities. The Fort Lauderdale resident faces charges linked to the disappearance of his 40-year-old wife, Ana Knezevich, from the Madrid apartment where she resided since their separation last year.
A 36-year-old business owner from Serbia, David Knezevich, made a brief appearance in Miami federal court on Monday and is scheduled for a bond hearing this Friday.
"The Spanish National Police, Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the FBI continue their investigation. Due to the ongoing nature of the case, no additional details will be disclosed," stated the FBI in an official announcement.
Ana's close friend, Sanna Rameau, expressed relief at the arrest, stating, "I am pleased that there has been progress. We are hopeful that this phase will bring clarity and answers about Ana's situation." In an earlier interview, Rameau mentioned an unusual incident preceding Ana's disappearance.
"There was a man that entered the building, they sprayed her surveillance cameras in her building around 9:30 p.m. She was last seen around 10 p.m.," Rameau recounted.
She added, the next day, I received a peculiar text from Ana's phone, completely unlike her usual style.
The message claimed Ana had met a man on the street the previous day, felt an instant connection, and planned to spend time at his home two hours away from Madrid.
Rameau found this narrative inconsistent with Ana's character and suspected foul play, especially considering Ana's ongoing divorce proceedings with her husband.
Ana Knezevich's Kidnapping
David Knezevich's lawyer, Ken Padowitz, was unavailable for comment when contacted on Monday afternoon. Padowitz has previously refuted any involvement by his client in his wife's disappearance.
Ana Knezevich, originally from Colombia and a naturalized American, vanished shortly after unidentified individuals, one wearing a motorcycle helmet, tampered with her apartment complex's security cameras by spray-painting the lenses.
Expressing relief at the arrest, Ana's close friend Sanna Rameau stated, "I am happy that there has been an arrest...We are hoping that this next chapter will bring justice and find answers about what has happened to Ana."
The Knezeviches, also known as the Knezevics, have been married for 13 years and are involved in EOX Technology Solutions Inc., providing computer support to businesses in South Florida.
Property records indicate their ownership of a home and two other properties in Fort Lauderdale, with one property currently facing foreclosure.
Ana's brother, Juan Henao, described the divorce as "nasty" during an interview with a Fort Lauderdale detective, highlighting David's discontent over the division of assets.
In a February interview, Padowitz maintained that the divorce proceedings were not acrimonious and stated his client's cooperation with law enforcement, noting that David Knezevich was in Serbia at the time of his wife's disappearance.
