A man was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a teen at gunpoint, sexually assaulting her and threatening to pimp her out earlier this month, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said.
The incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 as the victim was waiting for a bus after school. A man driving a white Ford truck stopped next to the victim and tried to start a conversation. The girl tried to walk away, but the suspect took out a handgun and told her to get in his truck, officials said.
The man then drove the victim to downtown Los Angeles and kept her in his vehicle for several hours before sexually assaulting her in a residential area.
The man then told the victim he was going to be her pimp and was going to force her to “commit commercial sex acts,” officials said.
Once the victim was let go, she called her mother and was taken to a hospital.
Investigators from the human trafficking bureau soon identified the suspect as Jaisen Lacount, 33, of Los Angeles.
He was arrested on Thursday in Lakewood, where he thought he was meeting the victim to begin working for him.
Officials did not provide the location of the original incident to protect the victim’s identity, said Lt. Barry Hall.
Investigators later searched Lacount’s home and his vehicle and found some of the victim’s property that had been stolen, a handgun and other items linking him to the crime, officials said.
Lacount, who was described as a convicted felon, remains in custody on $1.5 million bail.
