After 6 shocking days, teenage girl runs from kidnapper's hold in California

Can you even imagine being held captive for nearly a week?

Crimes happen. This time around, it happened to a 17-year-old girl near Big Bear Lake, California.

Last week, she took courage to break free when her kidnapper, 26-year-old Zackary Dourousseau, took her to his workplace, police authorities disclosed.

Later on March 7, police arrested the kidnapper.

The crime took place on March 1 when Dourousseau allegedly picked up the teen, drove her to his residence in Sugarloaf, and made unwanted advances. However, the girl refused his demands. The kidnapper reportedly held her inside the house for six agonizing days, the police statement said.

During this time, authorities said that the teen was forced to drink alcohol with little food and water. Dourousseau allegedly subjected her to further abuse, police said.

Later, Dourousseau took her to his workplace while she was locked inside the vehicle, the sheriff's department said. However, the teen managed to flee from a locked vehicle and took refuge in a nearby business where they called for police help, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

An employee of the business told the local media that her condition was concerning as if she was not taken care of for a few days.

“A lady came in and just said that she was kidnapped,” he told a media outlet. “And then 15 minutes later, a guy walked by past the windows and she said that it was him [her kidnapper]. So we took her into the backroom.”

On her identification, Dourousseau was taken into custody from his residence on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment and statutory rape, according to the sheriff’s department.

The local district attorney filed only one charge of unlawful sex with a minor pending further investigation.

The kidnapper's neighbour told the media that he had seen him with a teen girl recently.

“She looked to be 15 to 17, maybe,” the neighbour said. “Very young, and it was kind of suspicious. She was never dressed correctly. She always had men’s clothes on. Her hair was always greasy and scraggly.”

According to the media report, authorities said that the kidnapper and the teen knew each other before the crime took place.

Dourousseau has been released on bond. He will appear in court on Monday.