A 40-year-old Washington County man was arrested Friday on five felony charges after he forced a woman into his vehicle and drove off, police report.
Mark A. Warren is facing preliminary Level 5 felony charges of kidnapping, domestic battery and criminal confinement and Level 6 felony charges of strangulation and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. He also faces misdemeanor charges of intimidation and interfering with the reporting a crime.
According to a news release from Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer, county Officer Aaron Wilkins met with a woman at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday who told police she had previously been in a relationship with Warren.
The woman said on June 9, she went to a home she shared with Warren in Washington County after she got off work, Meyer said.
She told police she and Warren verbally argued and then went to get gas in Brownstown. At the gas station, the dispute continued and turned physical, and when Warren threw a drink at the woman and demanded she return to the vehicle, Meyer said.
After she refused to get into the vehicle and called police, Meyer said the woman told police Warren began to chase her on foot before getting back into the vehicle and recklessly driving in between gas pumps, police said.
Eventually, Warren was able to catch the woman, force her into the vehicle and leave before officers arrived.
Meyer said Warren also took the woman’s phone and ended the call to police for help.
Meyer also reported Warren took the woman back to their home, forced her inside and used his hands to restrict her breathing. While doing this, Meyer said Warren verbally threatened the woman’s life multiple times.
Based upon bruising on the woman and security footage from the gas station, Meyer said police were able to establish probable cause and make an arrest.
Warren was located by Wilkins and Officer Billy Dishman outside the woman’s place of employment and arrested late Thursday. He was booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown at 2:22 a.m. Friday.
Brownstown Police Department officers assist with the investigation, and personnel with Jackson County Emergency Medical Services assisted.
A Level 5 felony charge carries a sentence of one to six years with an advisory sentence of three years if convicted.