Man Charged After Hiding From Police In Woods With Child
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – An Oakridge man accused of hiding from law enforcement overnight in the woods with his 3-year-old child has been formally charged in Lane County Circuit Court.
The Register-Guard reports 41-year-old Travis Gerlits faces felony charges of assault, coercion, fleeing a police officer and criminal mistreatment in addition to misdemeanors of menacing and recklessly endangering another person.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office says Gerlits was a suspect in a Thursday domestic violence assault in Oakridge.
As authorities attempted to contact Gerlits, he allegedly fled, leading them into a forested area before fleeing on foot into the trees with his 3-year-old son in tow.
The two weren’t located until Friday afternoon and a helicopter was requested to take them out of a remote area. The child was taken to a hospital to be evaluated, and Gerlits was taken to jail.
It wasn’t known if Gerlits has a lawyer.
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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
