LOS ANGELES, CA – A man suspected of kidnapping a woman in Bellflower was taken into custody, and the victim was found safe, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Sunday, Feb. 16, when deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of a woman in her 40s being forcibly taken into a vehicle near the 9800 block of Cedar Street, close to Bellflower Boulevard. Witnesses reported seeing the woman forced out of a Toyota Camry and into a Ford Explorer before the suspect drove eastbound on Cedar Street.
Authorities later identified the suspect as Ramon Ballesteros of Los Angeles. Investigators believed the victim knew the suspect and that she had been taken against her will. However, at the time of the abduction, officials said no missing person reports matching her description had been filed.
Deputies located Ballesteros around 2:30 a.m. at a motel in Carson, where they found him with the alleged victim. Sheriff’s officials later confirmed that the woman, who was seen being assaulted in video surveillance footage, was the suspect’s girlfriend.
Authorities did not release the victim’s name but said she sustained minor injuries. It was unclear whether she required medical treatment. Both vehicles involved in the incident were recovered.
Ballesteros was booked on suspicion of kidnapping and is being held on $100,000 bail. The investigation remains ongoing.
