A North Cowichan woman is being treated for severe injuries to her face after being held captive for days.
She managed to escape and make her way to an area near Herd Road about noon on Tuesday, said RCMP.
The woman was helped by a contractor working on a house, CHEK News reported. He said the woman was badly beaten and was in handcuffs when she came up to him and a co-worker asking for help.
“She asked for a shower from her captor. The person let her go into the shower in the bathroom and she said ‘with all my might I got out the bathroom window,’ ” the contractor, who did not want to be named, told CHEK.
He said the woman told him that she had been held for three days and tortured. “Her face was so swollen. Her eyes were so puffed out, I couldn’t see the fear in her eyes, all I could hear was the fear in her voice,” he said.
Cpl. Krista Hobday from North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP said police and an ambulance arrived soon after the contractor called 911.
Police arrested a 52-year-old man on Wednesday.
“The man remains in police custody and will appear before a justice later today,” Hobday said Thursday. “Police are recommending numerous charges against this man, specifically, forcible confinement and aggravated assault.”
Hobday said the victim and the man are known to each other and that the public is not at risk. The woman is being supported by victim services.
RCMP are gathering evidence and seeking any relevant information or tips from the public, Hobday said. North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP can be contacted at 250-748-5522.
CHEK News: Rescuer recounts story of woman escaping captivity
