Two convicted felons accused of drugging and holding a woman captive with the possible intent of killing her pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony charges.
Scott James Lapresle, 56, and his female housemate, Kody Lynn Ganzer, 26, were arrested Monday night following an investigation by Banning police detectives.
Lapresle is charged with felonious assault, being a convicted felon in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun and false imprisonment. Ganzer is charged with false imprisonment.
They were both arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Aug. 3 at the Banning Justice Center.
The defendants are being held at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning — Lapresle on $1 million bail, and Ganzer on $10,000 bail.
According to a Banning Police Department statement, a woman checked into the emergency room at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning last Thursday with injuries she alleged were inflicted by people who held her captive.
Officers were sent to investigate and discovered that the victim, identified in court documents only as “D.A.,” allegedly had been forcibly held, drugged and nearly killed at the defendants’ residence in the 2500 block of West Nicolet Street, near Sunrise Avenue, according to police.
During the ensuing investigation, detectives substantiated some of the woman’s allegations, and a search warrant was obtained and served about 10 p.m. Monday, with Riverside County sheriff’s deputies assisting police officers in taking the defendants into custody, according to police Chief Matthew Hamner.
While searching the defendants’ residence, officers and deputies seized seven firearms, a hatchet and several long-bladed knives, Hamner said.
“I am very proud of the work our officers do, day in and day out,” he said. “They arrest violent criminals and confiscate deadly weapons to make our community safer. I want the community to know that they have officers putting their lives on the line to keep them out of harm’s way, so they can go about their activities with their friends and families and feel safe.”
According to court records, Lapresle has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and robbery, while Ganzer has priors for grand theft, shoplifting and possession of illegal drugs.