Southern California woman escapes rapist in cross-county chase after kidnapping: police

She was held against her will for at least two weeks and “forced through fear and coercion to perform sexual acts,” officials say.

May 31, 2024, 10:25 a.m. PDT

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA — A suspected multi-county kidnapper and rapist was arrested in San Diego this week after his victim escaped a two-week sexual assault, according to a recent report from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Lorenzo Isaiah Haynes, 29, was arrested following a tip from his escaped victim after a lengthy chase from Riverside County to San Diego, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

He was being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment, rape by force or intimidation, pimping, human trafficking, resisting or delaying the action of an officer causing great bodily harm, and other charges.

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Shortly before 9:30 p.m. on May 25, the unidentified victim escaped her captor and alerted 911 dispatchers that Haynes had been holding her captive against her will for more than two weeks. While hiding in a safe location in Chino, she told authorities that he had “forced her to perform multiple sexual acts through fear and coercion” throughout Southern California, according to Sergeant Jesse Doner of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

With the victim’s tip, officers were able to locate Haynes and attempt to stop him. He fled, and a chase ensued across the county. Officers followed Haynes from Riverside County to San Diego County and arrested him after a short foot chase near Gopher Canyon Road and I-15. During the chase, a patrol car struck two motorists and injured an officer, according to the SBC Sheriff’s Department.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Chino Hills Police at 909-364-2000 or the We-Tip hotline at 1-800-782-7463.