Authorities have found three bodies in the home of a Massachusetts man accused of kidnapping a woman and resisting arrest.
Springfield police pulled over 40-year-old Stewart Weldon for a broken tail light on Sunday, according to a police report. A distraught woman inside the car begged police to save her, telling officers “he’s going to kill me," the report said.
Police arrested Mr Weldon on charges of kidnapping, threat to commit a crime, and carrying a dangerous weapon, among others – all before investigators found three more bodies in the home where he reportedly lived. Mr Weldon has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said Mr Weldon had not been charged in connection with the bodies. The investigation was ongoing and could take “days, if not longer,” Mr Gulluni told reporters.
"All hands are on deck from the Springfield Police Department," Mr Gulluni said, according to the Associated Press.
The state's Department of Children and Families was also investigating, after taking emergency custody of a child in Mr Weldon's home.
Mr Weldon attempted to flee when he was pulled over on Sunday, police said, setting off a police chase that reportedly ended with him crashing into a police cruiser and fighting with officers who tried to arrest him.
The woman inside the car told police that Mr Weldon held her against her will for a month, while sexually assaulting and beating her.
"Thank you for saving my life," she told the officers, according to the police report. "I never thought I would get away."
She was taken to the hospital for a fractured jaw, stab wounds to her stomach, injuries from a blunt object, and a "festering infection" on her leg, according to Mass Live. She remained in the hospital on Friday in stable condition.
Mr Weldon was held on a $1m bail pending his next court appearance. He was previously charged in Massachusetts with assault and battery, breaking and entering, and robbery, according to the Associated Press.
In one instance, he was accused of assaulting a woman on the street and biting the leg of an officer who tried to arrest him. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a $1,000 cash bail.
