Felon Charged with Holding Women Captive, Assaulting Them with Stun Gun

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A convicted felon accused of holding two women in his Moreno Valley residence and assaulting them with a stun gun until they were able to escape was charged Wednesday with false imprisonment and other offenses. Gilberto Murillo Puga Jr., 53, was arrested Monday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation. Along with two counts of false imprisonment, Puga is charged with two counts of assault with a stun gun and one count of being a felon in possession of a weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia. The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice. According to sheriff’s Investigator Jomar Vanderhoof, at about 9:20 a.m. Sunday, patrol deputies were called to Puga’s house in the 26000 block of Prairie Dog Lane, just west of Nason Street, to investigate reports of a burglary. Vanderhoof said that as deputies were heading to the location, 911 dispatchers received another call from witnesses saying two women "were at Puga’s residence, screaming for help." "Upon arrival, deputies located the two females walking away from Puga’s residence," the sheriff’s spokesman said. "Puga was uncooperative with deputies and left the location. The investigation revealed that the two females had not burglarized Puga’s residence, but had been locked in the residence, held against their will and tortured." The victims’ identities were not disclosed. There was no explanation for why they were in the house, or any other details regarding how they knew the defendant. Detectives obtained a warrant for Puga’s arrest, and he was taken into custody without incident in Hemet on Monday morning. According to court records, he has prior convictions for vehicle theft, battery on a peace officer and driving under the influence. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.