"A man has been arrested in Southern California after allegedly kidnapping and forcing a woman to commit crimes throughout the country, officials announced on Monday. On Oct. 11 around 2:43 p.m., deputies arrived at a Sephora in San Bernardino County 's Chino Hills area, the city's police department said in a recent news release. There, they detained two individuals who were loitering in front of the store and discovered that they possessed fake ID cards, social security cards and debit cards."
"During the investigation, officers also discovered that an unnamed 51-year-old woman from North Carolina had been kidnapped and forced to commit fraud across the country. Rahson Govantes, a 28-year-old New York resident, and another unnamed woman allegedly forced her into the scheme to repay owed debts, the news release said, burning her with cigarettes and a curling iron in the process."
"Online court records show that Govantes has been arrested on suspicion of torture, kidnapping, aggravated mayhem and several other charges. His bail is set at $1 million, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 14. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department did not respond to SFGATE's request for more information by the time of publication. Investigators are currently trying to identify the other woman linked to the alleged scheme and other potential victims, the news release said. Individuals with information are encouraged to contact the department at 909-364-2000 or visit the WeTip website at www.wetip.com."
Deputies detained two people loitering outside a Sephora in Chino Hills on Oct. 11 and found fake ID cards, Social Security cards and debit cards. Investigators discovered a 51-year-old North Carolina woman had been kidnapped and forced to commit fraud across the country. Police allege Rahson Govantes, 28, of New York and another woman coerced the victim to repay debts and tortured her by burning with cigarettes and a curling iron. Online court records list charges including torture, kidnapping and aggravated mayhem. Bail for Govantes is set at $1 million and he is due in court Oct. 14. Authorities seek the identity of the other woman and additional victims; tips can be submitted to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department or WeTip.
Read at SFGATE
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