Inset: Angelo Liberto (Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office). Background: The Milwaukee County Jail in Milwaukee, Wis. (Google Maps).
A Wisconsin man is behind bars after a woman told police he kidnapped her and threatened to assault her.
Angelo Liberto, 22, was charged with attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, and false imprisonment, all with modifiers for the use of a deadly weapon, after police said he forced a woman into his car at gunpoint on May 29. According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, the unnamed woman told police that days before she and Liberto had a date planned for the night of May 29, he showed up at her home unannounced at 1 a.m. and told her he had a "surprise" for her.
Police said the woman told Liberto that he had "crossed boundaries" and told him to leave. When he showed up to pick her up for their date on May 29, as planned, Liberto said he had a "gift" for her in his car, and "another surprise" that was in the back seat.
According to the complaint, the woman complied and got into the back seat of Liberto's car and they drove off. He then allegedly pulled over and told her that "she should've been scared" before he pulled out a Python .357 Magnum revolver and pointed it at her. He then demanded her phone, and she refused to give it to him unless he put down the gun. As Liberto reportedly continued to yell at the woman to give him her password, she attempted to grab the gun.
The woman told police she was able to get the gun away from Liberto, but he allegedly locked the car, trapping her inside. Liberto then allegedly produced a knife and told the woman to put on a pair of handcuffs that was in the back seat. She complied.
Police said Liberto started accusing the woman of "seeing other people" and lying to him. The woman still had her phone and repeatedly attempted to call 911 while still handcuffed. She also attempted to call her family, the complaint says. As this was happening, Liberto reportedly told the woman how "perfect" she was and allegedly said he was taking her to a lake house four hours away so he could "use her like she used him." She reportedly asked Liberto if this meant he planned to sexually assault her, and he said, "Yes."
According to the complaint, Liberto admitted that he had vandalized the woman's vehicle in the past. He allegedly informed her that they would stay at the lake house "for a couple of days," then alluded to how "people kill people because they do bad things." Liberto allegedly told the woman, "We are at the point of no return."
Police caught up to Liberto's vehicle just after 11 p.m. and pulled him over. After they arrested Liberto, they freed the woman. Inside the car, police found the gun, the knife, and the handcuffs. According to the complaint, they also allegedly found duct tape, "a hacksaw, erectile dysfunction pills, a tarp, bondage restraints, a 'hogtie kit,' gloves, headlamps, an unopened package of women's underwear, lubricant, condoms, an unopened container of 10FT coil straight chain, hydrogen peroxide, a shovel, a 36″ gooseneck wrecking bar, and an unknown clear odorless liquid."
Detectives interviewed the woman the next day. She told them that she had met Liberto through mutual friends in September 2025 and had gone on a few dates with him, "but she told him that she did not want to be in a relationship." Police said Liberto complained that she did not let him kiss her or hold her hand. According to the complaint, the woman told him "multiple times that she only wanted to be friends."
Liberto remains in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail, where he is being held on $200,000 cash bond. He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.