Temecula woman recounts escaping violent kidnapping attempt; victim's former housekeeper arrested

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Thursday, January 2, 2025 4:49AM
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IE woman narrowly escapes kidnapper she allegedly recognized
A Temecula woman narrowly escaped a terrifying ordeal when a toy donation turned into a violent kidnapping attempt.

WINCHESTER, Calif. (KABC) -- A Temecula woman narrowly escaped a terrifying ordeal last month when a toy donation turned into a violent kidnapping attempt.

"I figured I was done for. I was either going to die or I was going to be trafficked or kidnapped or something," said Erin Quinn.

It turned out to be a kidnapping.

Quinn thought she was meeting a donor for her toy drive on Dec. 18 in Winchester. She had arrived at a home on Memory Lane after texting with a woman who claimed to be elderly and unable to drive.

"I go up to the door, leave my car unlocked, and I am waiting at the door trying to get this lady to answer, but nobody is answering," Quinn said.

Moments later, the woman texted Quinn to wait in her car, saying her caregiver would deliver the toys. That's when things took a horrifying turn.

"So I go to my car, about to get in, go to sit down, and someone grabs my hair and starts Tasing me on the side of the head," she said. "During that time, my brain was jolting like crazy, and I literally thought I was going to die or pass out. Once she took the Taser off my head, she made me drive."

Quinn said that as she drove, she tried to get the attention of nearby construction workers and a dog walker.

"They are watching her Tase me, kicking, screaming, like blazing my horn, and they didn't do anything," she said.

Her attacker threatened her family if she didn't cooperate, Quinn said.

"At that point, I wasn't fighting for me anymore. I was fighting for my boys and my mom. I had to stop her," she said.

The assault continued until Quinn crashed into two cars. In the chaos, she fought back and uncovered her attacker's identity.

"She was wearing this bright blonde wig, and I pulled the wig off and immediately realized, oh my gosh, that is Olga Mendez," Quinn said.

Mendez, Quinn's former housekeeper, hadn't been in her life for four years. After a bystander intervened, Mendez fled, leaving Quinn battered, bruised and confused.

As for why she was attacked?

"I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out why. None of it makes any sense," she said, adding that she and Mendez had parted ways on good terms.

Riverside County deputies arrested Mendez 10 days later. The 44-year-old is facing several charges, including kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon.

"I am hoping she gets at least 25 to life after everything she has done. I am not the only person she has hurt," Quinn said, referring to Mendez's lengthy criminal record.

Quinn is still processing the attack, but without health insurance, she's now facing mounting medical bills. A friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help her recover and rebuild her sense of safety.

Quinn offered a warning for others: "You've got to lock your car all the time and be vigilant," she said.

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