MORENO VALEY, Calif. – A California man was taken into custody Monday on an arrest warrant charging him with false imprisonment and torture after two women freed themselves from his home.
The suspect was identified by authorities as Gilberto Puga. Deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Moreno Valley Station, responded to Puga’s residence on Sunday after receiving conflicting reports regarding activity at the home, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
Puga made a call to the sheriff’s department claiming two women had broken into his home. However, the agency received additional reports that two women were at Puga’s house screaming for help.
Upon arrival at the home in the 2600 block of Prairie Dog Lane, deputies located the women walking away from the house. During the preliminary investigation, officials soon discovered that Puga was “uncooperative with deputies and left the location.”
As the investigation continued and detectives were able to corroborate details, they determined the women didn’t break into Puga’s home, but were actually locked in the house against their will and tortured.
Consequently, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Puga and he was taken into custody on Monday in the City of Hemet, FOX 11 reported.
Detectives believe Puga may have victimized other women. They are looking for anyone who has had a similar experience with the suspect to call the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station at 951-486-6700.
Puga was booked into jail and is being held on $1 million bail.
