Man accused of leading officers on high-speed, motorcycle chase; holding woman against her will in Franklin Co., Ill.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ill. (KFVS) - A man is accused of leading officers on a chase while speeding on a motorcycle and then holding a woman against her will.

Charles A. King, 40, of Granite City, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, driving with a suspended license/revoked license, improper passing on the shoulder, speeding 35 mph or over and violation of license classification.

He is currently being held in the Franklin County Jail pending a detention hearing.

According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy on routine patrol tried to make a traffic stop on a red motorcycle around 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 18. This was on State Highway 37 near Mallard Lane, north of Benton.

After seeing the emergency lights of the patrol car, the man sped away. The deputy followed him, but due to the speed of the motorcycle, lost sight of it.

A few minutes later, while driving on Benton Camp Road, the deputy saw the motorcycle lying in the road. The driver was not found.

On Sunday evening, Nov. 19, deputies received a 911 call for service to a home on Benton Camp Road north of Benton. The caller said she was being held against her will by a man who had been living at her home.

Deputies responded and found the woman inside the home. They say she told them the man had ran into a wooded area before they arrived.

According to the sheriff’s office, they identified the man King and determined he was the driver of the motorcycle from the night before.

The Franklin County Emergency Management Agency responded and deployed an infrared-equipped drone. Within minutes, deputies say the drone found a heat signature in a heavily wooded area near the home.

Deputies, officers from the Benton Police Department and Illinois State Police troopers went into the wooded area. Sheriff’s office K-9 Riot found King and officers took him into custody.

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