A man was arrested after allegedly kidnapping and holding a teen girl hostage at his home near Big Bear Lake.
The suspect was identified as Zackary Dourousseau, 26, according to the Big Bear Sheriff’s Department.
On March 1, the victim, identified only as a 17-year-old girl, was picked up by Dourousseau at around 8 p.m. The suspect drove the girl to his home where he allegedly asked her for sex, authorities said.
When the girl refused, Dourousseau allegedly held the girl captive and refused to let her leave his home for six days.
During that time, the girl was provided with very little food or water while the suspect forced her to consume large amounts of alcohol, deputies said.
The suspect also “forced the girl to have sex with him in exchange for her freedom,” authorities said. He took the girl with him when driving to work and left her locked inside his car during the day.
On March 7, the girl was able to escape from the vehicle and ran into a nearby business located on the 40700 block of Village Drive for help.
Dourousseau was later located at his home in the 300 block of Los Angeles Avenue in Sugarloaf, a community less than a mile from Big Bear City, and was taken into custody.
He was arrested on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment and statutory rape. A court hearing is scheduled for March 18 at the San Bernardino Superior Courthouse.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station at 909-866-0100.
Anonymous tips can be provided to We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or online at wetip.com.
