Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Kidnapping of Michelle and Breea Renee’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ the primary focus is on the traumatizing experiences of Michelle Renee, her daughter, Breea Renee, and their roommate, Kimbra, when they were held hostage for several hours in their San Diego County residence by three masked men — Christopher Butler, Christopher Huggins, and Robert Ortiz. The motive behind the kidnapping was to blackmail Michelle into carrying out a bank heist for them. As the investigation intensified, Butler’s to-be-wife, Lisa Ramirez, was also tied to the crime. Thanks to her presence of mind, the detectives managed to capture all four individuals and bring them to justice.
Christopher Butler, Lisa Ramirez, Christopher Huggins, and Robert Ortiz Planned the Kidnapping and Bank Heist
On November 21, 2000, Christopher Butler, Christopher Huggins, and Robert Ortiz caught Michelle Renee and her 7-year-old daughter, Breea, by surprise when they broke into their San Diego County home wearing masks and armed with guns. After holding them at gunpoint and duct-taping them in the house, the masked gunmen claimed that they had been following Michelle, the 35-year-old manager at Bank of America, and plotting for months. Christopher Butler, who was also referred to as “Money One,” was the ringleader, who was in constant touch with his fiancée, Lisa Ramirez, via a two-way radio. The couple reportedly lived just a few miles away from the bank.
They told the bank manager that she had to help them rob her bank the following day if she wanted to prevent them from killing her and her daughter. When the roommate, Kimbra, arrived, they held her hostage as well. Around 6 am the following morning, the gunmen strapped dynamite explosives to the bodies of all three hostages and told Michelle to follow their instructions, threatening that one false or clever move from her end would result in them exploding the bomb tied to Breea. While Robert and Huggins stayed in the house, Butler went with Michelle as she drove to work with a briefcase and dynamite strapped to her back.
Once she returned to the car with $360,000, Butler let her out a few blocks away and fled the area. When the authorities examined the explosives, they turned out to be fake. Michelle claimed that she recognized Butler’s eyes and Lisa’s voice as the two had stopped by the bank and posed as customers just a few hours before she and her daughter were taken hostage. During the odd encounter, Butler also gave her his business card, which became a critical lead in the investigation as it revealed his real name. As the detectives dug deeper into his background, they realized that he was a convicted felon and had been involved in multiple bank robberies.
All Four Individuals Involved in the Kidnapping and Heist Were Arrested Within Three Months
Ten days after the heist, Christopher Butler and his partner, Lisa Ramirez, were arrested at a traffic stop as the investigators found several pieces of physical evidence in their possession, including a BB gun, ski masks, Michelle’s credit cards, and money straps from the bank. Upon searching the criminal couple’s house, they also found cut-out pieces of a broom handle and red spray paint, both of which were used to make the fake dynamite. The detectives also discovered Butler’s fingerprint on one of the fake bombs. While he protected Lisa and denied all the allegations, she confessed to the heist and claimed that she came up with the plan to hold Michelle hostage and blackmail her using fake explosives.
During her interview, she also told them that their share of the money was stolen. Lisa also tried to implicate Michelle Renee by claiming that she was also in on the plan. The same day they arrested Lisa and Butler, the authorities took Huggins into custody and recovered $93,000 of the stolen cash. As far as the fourth accomplice, Robert Ortiz, was concerned, he was on the run. It would take the detectives nearly three months to apprehend him in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 20, 2001. They managed to recover $32,000 of the bank’s money locked inside a safe in his house. Both Robert and Huggins gave full confessions to the detectives, without implicating Michelle.
Out of Prison, Christopher Butler and Lisa Ramirez Prefer to Stay Away From the Limelight
Less than two years after the kidnapping and heist, Christopher Butler and Lisa Ramirez were tried together in June 2002. Since the latter’s confession was ruled inadmissible in court, the prosecution had to rely on Michelle Renee’s testimony during the trial. When the kidnapping survivor took the stand, the defense attacked her credibility, cross-questioned her, and claimed that she was also a part of the heist. Later, Butler took the stand and told the jury that it was Michelle who masterminded the entire plot to rob the bank. On top of that, he alleged that he had a romantic past with her and she hired him for the heist. The jury reportedly deliberated for five days and returned with a mixed verdict.
While Butler was convicted of the bank robbery and the kidnapping of Breea and Kimbra, the jury hung 9-3 on the charges of Michelle’s kidnapping. As for Lisa, the jury found her not guilty on all counts, allowing her to walk free after the conclusion of the trial. Meanwhile, Butler was sentenced to three life sentences, which were turned down to two consecutive life sentences in 2005, after an appeal led to the dropping of a conspiracy charge. Several years later, in January 2020, he was up for parole, and that’s when he admitted that he never had a relationship with Michelle Renee. Although he was denied parole at the time, he had another chance at it in December 2024. During his parole hearing on December 20, 2024, Michelle took the stand and expressed that she was against his parole.
She stated, “What kind of person lies about the person whose life they destroyed. Who is the kind of person that hangs onto that lie and perpetuates it for 20 years? Is that the type of person that we can consider being safe and who is capable of making decisions?” The convict also addressed the court: “I pray one day God touches them the way he touches me to have remorse, empathy and compassion. I am sorry to my victims, I am sorry to my victims’ family and my family.” In response, the survivor claimed that she might have forgiven him but didn’t think that it was time to let him out yet. Much to her disappointment, he was granted parole and has been a free man ever since. As of today, both Christopher Butler and Lisa Ramirez remain out of the spotlight and lead private lives.
Michelle Renee Advocated For the Parole of Christopher Huggins and Robert Ortiz
As per reports, in 2003, Christopher Huggins and Robert Ortiz stood trial together in connection with the kidnapping and heist. Unlike Butler and Lisa’s trial, their trial was less complicated, as the jury came to a unanimous decision by finding both the defendants guilty. They were convicted of conspiracy, kidnapping for robbery, two counts of kidnapping for ransom, two counts of robbery in concert, and burglary of an inhabited dwelling. Both were sentenced to three consecutive life terms in addition to 32 years in prison. In January 2021, Robert’s parole hearing took place, during which Michelle Renee advocated for his release as she believed that he had reformed and it was time for him to return to his family.
He was subsequently granted parole. As for Christopher Huggins, he was up for parole in March 2025. Michelle also vouched for him, just as she did for Robert a few years ago, which led to his parole, too. She told CBS8, “Huggins, just like Ortiz, has put in so much work since the day he got there. There is clear evidence of remorse. There is clear evidence of wanting to make amends. There is real, clear evidence of a deep change and healing in their own lives, from their own traumatic experiences.” From what we can tell, Huggins and Robert seemingly returned to their respective lives and have stayed out of any trouble with law enforcement.
Read More: Breea Renee: Where is the Kidnapping Survivor Now?
