Cops Arrest Kidnapping, Tasing RivCo Suspect In Los Angeles

MENIFEE, CA — A 44-year-old Menifee woman is in custody on suspicion of kidnapping and other charges after she allegedly lured a victim with the false promise of a charitable donation only to attack her with a Taser and force her to drive her vehicle until she crashed it.

The suspect, identified as Olga Mendez, was arrested Friday in Paramount in Los Angeles County and was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and two unrelated warrants, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Mendez was booked last week into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, making terrorist threats, presenting false identification and forgery.

Mendez is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Her case was under review Monday by the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

On Dec. 18, deputies with the sheriff's Perris station responded shortly before 10 a.m. to a report of a domestic dispute between Olive Avenue and Leon Road in the unincorporated area of Winchester. They found the victim suffered from non-life-threatening injuries and ruled the incident as a kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon, the department said.

The suspect fled the scene before deputies arrived, and the victim was taken to a hospital.

The alleged victim, who identified herself on social media as Erin Quinn, claimed on social media that Mendez lured her to the location by offering to donate presents for a toy drive Quinn was attending.

Quinn said on her Facebook page that she drove to a location given by Mendez, who used a false name, and left her vehicle unattended for an undetermined amount of time to search for her.

"Little did I know, it was a set up and when I went back to my car, someone was in the back seat waiting for me with a taser," Quinn wrote on Dec. 19. "While the suspect was pulling my hair and repeatedly tazing me for over 30 times over a 25-minute span of time. She made me drive while this was going on threatening my boys and my mom would be next."

Quinn said she told authorities that she recognized the suspect as her former house cleaner after she crashed her vehicle to escape the incident.

"My brain was jolting and my body was shutting down," Quinn told KTLA5. "I thought literally either I was going to die or I was going to pass out."

Quinn posted about the case again on Friday.

"You have no idea what a relief this is that she was found. Thank you for helping me get this story out there. Our community is safe again, knowing that she's behind bars," Quinn said on Facebook.

Authorities did not offer further details about Quinn's allegations. A possible motive behind the alleged abduction was not provided, nor was background information on Mendez available.

Anyone with relevant information was urged to contact Deputy E. Lopez at the Perris sheriff's station at 951-210-1000.