28th May 2018, 13:53

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Airbubba

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Much of the initial news coverage of this incident seems to derive from this story in the local Redding paper:

Quote:

Two Chinese flight students shaken over experience with IASCO staff

Amber Sandhu, Record Searchlight Published 9:00 a.m. PT May 27, 2018

A second IASCO Flight Training student has come forward to say he was confronted in his home by the program's manager and told he'd be sent home to China immediately over what he says was a small infraction of rules.

Zhang Xun Yi, 24, shared his experience after the case of Tianshu Shi, the 21-year-old man Redding Police say was the victim of an attempted kidnapping by two employees of the school, became public.

Yi said the school grounded him about three weeks ago. He said he believes it was because he allowed a friend he has made in Redding into his home to use the restroom. A call to IASCO was not returned Saturday.

Meanwhile, Shi, who goes by Chris, shed more light about a confrontation Friday morning that he said led his family to contact Redding Police. Officers later arrested IASCO general manager Jonathan Lipton McConkey, 48, and his assistant, Kelsi Hoser, 50.

Audio recording sheds light on harrowing experience

During an exclusive interview with the Record Searchlight Saturday, Shi produced an audio recording he said he made in the early hours on Friday when McConkey and Hoser showed up at his home on Trudie Trail in Redding.

Jonathan McConkey (Photo: Redding Police Department)

Kelsi Hoser (Photo: Shasta County Jail)

Shi played the audio on his smartphone for the Record Searchlight and allowed a reporter to record it. The three people heard on it — a man speaking loudly in English, a woman who speaks both English and Mandarin, and Shi — do not state their names during the recording. The details in their conversation fit with the statements police have made about the incident.

Redding police Sgt. Gary Meadows has been handling the investigation. He did not immediately respond to an email sent Saturday afternoon asking him to confirm whether investigators have a similar recording.

Both McConkey and Hoser were booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a crime. Late Friday, however, they were not listed in the jail's electronic custody roster.

Shi said he has no idea why he was supposed to be sent back to China.

Shi told police McConkey and Hoser battered him and forced him to leave the house to go back to China.

Audio of the incident here:

https://www.redding.com/videos/news/...hool/35414709/

More in the news article:

https://www.redding.com/story/news/2...aff/647842002/

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