A California man was arrested in Alabama Sunday after police say he kidnapped a woman and locked her inside a van equipped with cages.
According to AL.com, 51-year-old Sean E. Sanders was charged with first-degree kidnapping and two counts of attempted murder, among other crimes.
Police in Brookside, Alabama say they received a call about 2:45 p.m. Sunday about a possible kidnapping that was in progress. According to Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones, the caller said a black man was trying to drag a white woman into the woods, but quickly forced the woman into his van when he saw he'd been spotted.
CNN reports that called noted that the woman was bleeding from her head and was screaming, "help, he's going to kill me!"
Police later spotted the white Astrovan nearby, at which point Sanders led police on a chase.
Police were eventually able to block the van. But when they tried to approach the vehicle, the suspect rammed a police car and fled again.
During a later attempt to barricade the van, police say Sanders tried to run over a police officer. That officer tried to shot into the van while he was on the ground as the car rolled into the front yard of a house.
At that point, police say Sanders began holding the victim at knifepoint. Police attempted to negotiate with the suspect, but he kept demanding that they kill him.
Eventually, tactical officers breached the van, used a stun gun on Sanders, and took him into custody.
Police say Sanders has confessed to kidnapping and assault.
According to bodycam footage and photos taken from the scene, Sanders' fan was equipped with a cage in the back seat and included bars on the windows. The van also had blankets draped over the windows.
Police say the woman is "secluded and recovering."
