Man arrested in Oregon, accused of kidnapping woman, her children in Vancouver

A man accused of kidnapping a woman and her two children in Vancouver was arrested Tuesday in Lane County, Ore., after allegedly leading deputies there on a chase.

Shortly after 1 a.m., the Lane County Sheriff’s Office said it received information that a kidnapping suspect might be in the area. The Vancouver Police Department said 53-year-old Bart Allen Stephanie previously eluded officers.

Lane County deputies located Stephanie driving on Jasper Road near Pengra Road shortly after the tip. Stephanie drove away from deputies and through a homeowner’s yard near Place and Church roads. He then drove through a fence and into a pasture, according to a news release.

Deputies used their vehicles to pin Stephanie’s rented pickup, the sheriff’s office said.

The woman and her children were found inside the pickup. The woman had suffered a head injury that the sheriff’s office said was from Stephanie assaulting her; the children were unharmed.

Deputies took the victims to an area hotel, where they were given temporary housing from a community assistance fund donated by the University Fellowship Church of Eugene, Ore., the news release states.

Stephanie was treated for minor injuries at an area hospital. He was then booked into the Lane County Jail on suspicion of three counts of second-degree kidnapping and one count each of eluding by vehicle, reckless driving, reckless endangering, second-degree criminal trespass and first-degree criminal mischief.