North Carolina woman, 51, rescued in California after kidnapping, torture

A 51-year-old kidnapping and torture victim from North Carolina was rescued by sheriff’s deputies in San Bernardino County over the weekend, officials announced Monday.  

In a news release, authorities with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said that just after 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 11, deputies responded to a call of “suspicious suspects” loitering outside a Sephora at The Shoppes at Chino Hills located at 13920 City Center Drive in Chino Hills.  

Both the 51-year-old woman, later identified as the victim, and a 28-year-old New York resident identified as Rahson Govantes detained.  

“During the investigation, deputies located several fraudulent identification cards, social security cards, and debit cards,” the release noted.  

After interviewing the North Carolina woman, investigators said they discovered that she had been kidnapped by the 28-year-old and an unidentified woman who forced her on a cross-country crime spree to repay debts she owed, presumably to the two suspects.  

“During their travels, Govantes and the female suspect tortured and abused the victim by burning her with cigarettes and a curling iron,” investigators said.  

Authorities did not say when the victim had been kidnapped and it’s unclear how long the 51-year-old woman had been held against her will.  

Govantes was booked at West Valley Detention Center where authorities say he’s facing several felony charges, including kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated mayhem.  

Investigators are working to identify the unidentified female suspect and have released Govantes’ mugshot in hopes any other potential victims of the pair can be located.  

Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to contact San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department at 909-364-2000. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip Hotline at 800-78CRIME or leave tips online at www.wetip.com.