A traffic stop in Oregon leads to a missing woman from California who was held against her will.
It started when Newport Police say they pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation on January 17th. During the traffic stop, a man got out of the passenger seat and walked away. At the time of the stop, officers didn't have a reason to detain the passenger.
While talking with the driver, officers discovered she was a missing and endangered woman out of California, who was held against her will for an extended period of time and transported her from California to Oregon. She was raped, strangled, assaulted and forced to take drugs.
Police say during the investigation, they learned 35-year-old Lawson Rankin, who was the passenger in side the vehicle who walked away, was a wanted fugitive in connection with the woman.
On January 22nd, Newport Police obtained an indictment warrant charging Lawson with Kidnapping in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, Assault in the Fourth Degree, Rape in the First Degree, Sodomy in the First Degree, Strangulation, Coercion, Endangering a Person Protected by a Family Abuse Prevention Act Restraining Order, and Causing Another Person to Ingest a Controlled Substance.
On January 23rd, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Rankin was found in Toledo, Oregon and taken into custody. A K9 helped apprehend him.
Rankin was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on a no bail warrant.
The name of the woman hasn't been released.