Alleged Girlfriend-Torturer Charged

A convicted felon accused of severely beating his girlfriend while holding her captive in her Corona apartment was charged today with torture and other felonies.

Miguel Angel Aguiniga, 29, of Corona was arrested Tuesday night, culminating a two-month search for the fugitive.

Along with torture, Aguiniga is charged with domestic violence resulting in traumatic injury, false imprisonment and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury.

If convicted of all counts, he could face life in prison.

The defendant, who's being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, was slated to make his initial court appearance this afternoon in Riverside.

Aguiniga was arrested around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after he was pulled over for an alleged traffic violation in the 200 block of Granite Street.

A felony arrest warrant was issued for the defendant in May following an investigation into allegations that he had attacked his girlfriend, whose identity was not released, during a domestic dispute on May 6 and refused to let her leave her residence in the 900 block of South Joy Street.

Corona police detectives allege that Aguiniga kicked and pummeled the woman, as well as struck her with various objects over an unspecified period of time.

"The victim ... showed signs of torture to her lower extremities," said Detective Martin Vega.

Aguiniga allegedly fled in the woman's silver Honda Civic, which was located on May 27 in the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy at 8280 Magnolia Ave. in Riverside.

Vega said there were concerns Aguiniga would attempt to return and harm the victim again.

According to court records, the defendant has prior felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence, as well as misdemeanor convictions for public drunkenness and shoplifting. --City News Service