NEWTON COUNTY — The Covington Police Department (CPD) and Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO), alongside other law enforcement agencies, helped rescue an abducted woman on I-20 on Saturday morning.

According to a media release from the CPD and a booking report from the NCSO, 34-year-old Charles Davis, a resident of Batesburg, S.C., forced entry into a woman’s home and abducted her early Saturday morning. Davis fled west into Georgia with the woman along I-20 before eventually being apprehended in Rockdale County.

Davis was arrested by the CPD and booked in Newton County. He is charged with felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, misdemeanor reckless driving, felony false imprisonment, felony kidnapping and misdemeanor willful obstruction of law enforcement officers. 

Davis will face additional charges in South Carolina.

According to the CPD release, the victim was able to notify a bystander that she had been kidnapped while stopped at a Morgan County rest stop. Law enforcement was alerted and the CPD received the BOLO around 8:51 a.m.

CPD Officer Ward spotted the vehicle continuing to flee west on I-20 near mile marker 92 and attempted to pull it over. Davis reportedly pulled over briefly before fleeing once more with the victim, who remains unnamed.

According to the CPD release, Davis’s vehicle was stopped after a successful PIT maneuver by the NCSO near Exit 80 in Rockdale County. 

“The suspect, Charles Davis, attempted to flee on foot but was tased and quickly apprehended,” the statement read. “The victim was unharmed and safely recovered.”

Davis was arrested by Ward with the CPD at approximately 9:08 a.m., according to a jail report from the NCSO.

The chase involved CPD and NCSO, and Rockdale County Sheriff’s deputies and Conyers Police officers were visible in photos posted to social media. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office was also involved.

Davis’ motivations and any relationship with the victim are not known at this time. No court date has been released.