CHINO HILLS, CA – A woman was rescued by deputies after she was allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and forced to travel across the country committing fraud in a scheme to repay debts, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident began around 2:43 p.m. on October 11, 2025, when deputies responded to The Shoppes at Chino Hills located at 13920 City Center Drive for a report of suspicious individuals loitering in front of Sephora. Upon arrival, deputies detained two individuals and discovered multiple fraudulent identification cards, social security cards, and debit cards during the investigation.
One of the detained individuals, a 51-year-old woman from North Carolina, told deputies she had been kidnapped and forced to travel across the country with 28-year-old Rahson Govantes of New York and an unidentified Black female adult. The victim said she was coerced into participating in fraud-related activities throughout the United States.
According to investigators, the suspects tortured and abused the victim during their travels, including burning her with cigarettes and a curling iron.
Govantes was arrested at the scene and booked into the West Valley Detention Center on multiple felony charges, including aggravated mayhem, torture, kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon. Authorities are working to identify the female suspect and any additional victims.
A photo of Govantes has been released. Anyone with information or who may have been victimized is urged to contact the Chino Hills Police Department at (909) 364-2000. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or at www.wetip.com.
