Authorities have captured a suspect alleged to have been involved in a kidnapping and police pursuit Wednesday. After fleeing law enforcement on foot Wednesday evening, Robert J. Chilcoate, 39, of Louisville was located and apprehended in Spencer County, Ind. at around 1 p.m. Thursday.
The high-speed police chase stemmed from an incident that occurred Wednesday afternoon, when at 3:30 p.m., Daviess County Sheriff’s Office received information from Spencer County authorities to be on the lookout for a van that was heading toward Daviess County. DCSO was told the van would be accompanied by two men possibly carrying guns, said DCSO Detective Jared Spurrier.
At 4:21 p.m., DCSO received a call regarding an attempted abduction that had occurred on Keeneland Parkway in Daviess County. Spurrier said authorities were informed that two men had attempted to coerce a 9-year-old girl into getting in their vehicle, using their weapons as leverage.
“She ran away to her mom, who called 911,” Spurrier said. “In her statement, as she was running, she said the two men yelled after her, implying that they had weapons with them.”
The two men did not know the young girl, nor did she know who they were, officials say.
DCSO deputies then located a vehicle matching the description given on Highway 54. They attempted to stop the van, but a pursuit escalated when the driver refused to pull over.
“The pursuit led across the bridge to Spencer County,” Spurrier said.
During the chase, deputies witnessed two firearms be thrown out of the windows of the van and over the bridge leading into Indiana.
Francis Wilkins, 32, was apprehended by authorities after the van wrecked into a field. Spurrier says Wilkins tried to flee police but was stopped before he could get away. Meanwhile, Chilcoate fled on foot.
In the van, authorities found an adult female, Kelly Quinn, and two children inside. Spurrier says Quinn was Wilkins’ girlfriend, and that one of the children was her biological child, and the other was Wilkins’ biological child.
“She told law enforcement she’d had no choice in the matter, and that’s why she got into the vehicle,” Spurrier said. “She knew the men had guns, so she did it out of fear.”
Quinn and the two children were treated and released without injuries at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.
In Chrisney, Indiana, around 3:45 p.m., authorities received another call from an individual claiming he was held at gunpoint by two men who are believed to have been Wilkins and Chilcoate.
Spurrier says both suspects are believed to be convicted felons, and that a number of different charges will likely be held against them once everything is said and done. Aside from the kidnapping and attempted kidnapping charges, both men could see charges related to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, reckless driving and wanton endangerment.
Chilcoate also had an active warrant out for his arrest from previous charges, Spurrier said, and was immediately taken into custody following his capture.
Because the chase crossed over state lines and multiple laws were broken in different jurisdictions, Spurrier said both men could see themselves doubly charged for some of the offenses they committed in the two states.
For now, both men are being charged with kidnapping of an adult, kidnapping of a juvenile and attempted kidnapping of a juvenile. DCSO will also pursue charges related to fleeing and evading police.
“Everytime you cross a jurisdictional boundary, you can get charged again,” Spurrier said.
