PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — Law enforcement on Tuesday arrested an armed man suspected of abducting a woman in Pike County.
On Sunday, around 10 a.m., deputies responded to the area of state Route 220 and River Road for a call for a possible abduction with the use of a firearm.
While responding, deputies observed a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle and attempted to perform a traffic stop. The sheriff’s office says the driver failed to comply, which resulted in a high-speed chase.
Police were not able to catch the vehicle. The woman inside the suspect’s vehicle was found by deputies as she was walking on Rapp Montgomery Road.
The suspect was identified by witnesses as 34-year-old Timothy Joe Brown, of Waverly.
The sheriff’s office told 10TV that the victim knew Brown before the abduction. Additionally, Brown had allegedly assaulted her and pointed a weapon at her.
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, deputies and other law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at a home on Innovation Parkway. A dark-colored Lincoln SUV arrived at the home while officers were arriving to the scene.
The sheriff’s office says the vehicle led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through the woods. Officers found the vehicle abandoned on an old road in a wooded area around Innovation Parkway.
A short time later, Brown and a woman, later identified as Jennifer Blanton, were seen attempting to get into the vehicle. The two then ran into the woods near River Road
After searching for hours in the area, police found Brown in the field near the same home on Innovation Parkway attempting to start a green Ford Ranger. Brown then ran from officers and into the woods.
After law enforcement and drones briefly searched the area, Brown and Blanton were found hiding in some brush over the hill from the home on Innovation Parkway.
The two suspects were arrested without further incident.
The sheriff’s office says the suspects were in possession of drug paraphernalia and a substance believed to be narcotics.
Brown and Blanton are currently being held in Pike County Jail.
Brown is facing several charges, including aggravated burglary, having weapons while under disability, abduction, failure to comply with order of a police officer, domestic violence, aggravated menacing and assault. His bond is set at $195,000.
Blanton is charged with probation violation and her bond is set at $1,500. The sheriff’s office says she will not face charges in connection with the abduction.