Man Charged with Lake Forest Kidnapping

A 21-year-old man convicted at the beginning of this month of drunken driving was charged today with abducting his girlfriend in Lake Forest and attacking her with a knife, according to court records.

Agustin Barrera-Armenta was charged with kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon or force likely to produce great bodily injury, and criminal threats, all felonies.

Barrera-Armenta was also charged with misdemeanor battery against a cohabitant and misdemeanor damaging a wireless device to prevent the victim from calling police, according to court records.

Barrera-Armenta, who also faces sentencing enhancements for use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, pleaded not guilty to the charges today and was ordered to return to court Oct. 29 for a pretrial hearing.

The defendant was accused of attacking the victim Monday. The prosecutor who filed the case did not respond to messages.

Barrera-Armenta pleaded guilty Oct. 1 to driving under the influence of alcohol, hit and run with property damage and driving without a license, according to court records.

Barrera-Armenta was placed on three years of informal probation and ordered to perform 20 days of work on a Caltrans work crew, but a 40-day jail sentence was suspended, according to court records. Barrera-Armenta was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to jail records.

City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock