Moreno Valley

Man Accused of Holding 2 Women Captive and Torturing Them at Moreno Valley Home

Riverside County deputies responded to the home after 911 calls from the suspect and a neighbor.

NBC Universal, Inc.

A man accused of holding two women at his Southern California home and torturing them was arrested Sunday after a bizarre series of events that included a 911 call from the suspect.

Gilberto Puga, 53, was arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment and assault using a stun gun.

Deputies in Riverside County responded to his Moreno Valley home in the 26000 block of Prairie Dog Lane after he called 911 and claimed two women broke into his residence in a burglary. At about the same time, a neighbor called 911 to report the sounds of women screaming for help coming from Puga's home.

When deputies arrived, two women were found outside the home and Puga took off in his SUV. He was arrested the next day in Hemet when police found him in the Audi SUV.

Deputies said the two women had been held against their will at the home. It was not immdiately clear how long the women were at the home and how they got there.

"After (deputies) conducted their investigation, they determined these two women had been locked inside the residence, held against their will and tortured," said Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez, of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Local

Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.

Newlweds lose home, belongings to the raging Franklin Fire in Malibu

Newly formed group of volunteers display bravery in fight against Franklin Fire

Authorities released a mug shot of Puga in an attempt to determine whether there are more victims. The department said anyone who had contact with Puga under similar circumstances or any information with the case to call the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station at 951-486-6700. 

Residents in the neighborhood declined to speak with NBCLA on camera.

It was not immediately clear when Puga has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Contact Us