Bound, gagged & chained woman escapes captor

STIRLING CITY — A man was arrested in the tiny, unincorporated mountain community of Stirling City yesterday morning, Saturday, Feb. 23, after a bound and gagged woman showed up at an elderly woman’s home begging for help.

The “severely battered and scared” victim, who reportedly had a chain around her neck, duct tape on her wrists, and a ball gag stuffed in her mouth, said she had been victimized and held captive overnight at a nearby home, and asked the elderly woman to call 911 for her.

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Butte County sheriff’s deputies were first alerted to the situation shortly before 8:20 a.m., after the elderly woman called 911 for the still-bound and traumatized victim.

Responding deputies soon learned the victim had gone to a Manzanita St. residence to meet with a man, later identified as 34-year-old, Jacob Britton. The woman told deputies she had previously been involved in a relationship with Britton and she had gone to his home willingly the prior evening.

Although BCSO has released few details about their investigation, at some point during the evening, the visit turned ugly and the victim, who has not been identified, ended up bound, gagged, and battered. She later told deputies Britton had refused to let her leave the home and terrorized her throughout the evening.

The victim said she finally managed to escape the next morning after Britton fell asleep.

The woman was eventually transported to an area hospital where she was treated and and has since been released.

Although the elderly woman who summoned help for the victim was interviewed by KRCR News Channel 7 she declined to be named, due to the small size of the town’s fewer than 300 residents, and because she knows the man who was later arrested.

Based on their investigation, deputies arrested Britton and he was booked into jail on suspicion of domestic violence and false imprisonment. He remains in custody in lieu of $65,000 bail.

Anyone with information about this investigation or who believes they may have been victimized by Britton are encouraged to contact Butte County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 538-7321. Callers can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.