A woman in Winton told Merced County deputies that two men forced their way into her home on Sunday and kept her from leaving, setting off a search that ended with a sheriff's helicopter helping track the suspects to a residence across town in Merced. Gurson Bahia, 20, and Dylan Lopez Kong, 25, were arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail on allegations of home invasion and false imprisonment.
According to the Los Banos Enterprise, the victim reported that “two men had forced their way into her home and prevented her from leaving.” Both men were gone by the time deputies arrived at the scene, the paper reported, noting that “both suspects fled before deputies arrived.”
Helicopter Helps Track Suspects Across Town
Investigators didn't stop there. With help from the Merced Police Department and the Merced County Sheriff's Office Sable 6 helicopter, deputies traced the two men and their vehicle to a residence in the 1500 block of Hansen Avenue in Merced, the same account states. Fox affiliate KMPH Fox 26 reported that the men had attempted to hide from police before the helicopter spotted them, according to deputies.
Deputies identified the suspects as Bahia and Kong, both of whom were taken into custody and transported to jail. The pair now face allegations tied to the alleged home invasion, which deputies say took place near Vine Avenue and Walnut Avenue in Winton on Sunday, per KMPH Fox 26.
What Comes Next in the Case
Under California Penal Code section 236, false imprisonment is defined as the unlawful violation of another person's personal liberty — the charge investigators cited alongside home invasion in booking Bahia and Kong. The Los Banos Enterprise reports that the investigation remains ongoing and that authorities have not released additional details about the case.
No further information about the circumstances of the alleged break-in has been made public, and it remains unclear what prompted the confrontation at the Winton home. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Merced County Sheriff's Office at 209-385-7472.
