Police capture alleged kidnapper after high-speed chase through St. Clair County

Police captured a kidnapping suspect after he led them on a high-speed chase through St. Clair County early Sunday morning.

The Fairview Heights Police Department received a 911 call at about 2 a.m. from East St. Louis woman saying that she was being held at gunpoint in a vehicle at Circle K, located at 10070 Bunkum Road in Fairview Heights, according to a release.

Steven L. McCoy, 43, of Potomac Drive in Fairview Heights has been charged with home invasion, armed aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, armed violence, armed habitual criminal, and felon in possession of a firearm, the police department release stated.

McCoy was a former boyfriend of the victim. He abducted her at gunpoint at her East St. Louis home, threatening to shoot her, police said. He then took the woman to his Fairview Heights home where he held her at gunpoint for several hours in his vehicle before she was able to call police.

During the high-speed pursuit, the victim was able to wrestle the firearm away from McCoy which caused him to swerve into oncoming traffic where he eventually stopped on the shoulder of the road near Route 161 and Frank Scott Parkway, police said.

Once the vehicle stopped, the woman was able to escape the vehicle and flag down the pursuing police.

The suspect also got out and ran into a wooded area near the scene but quickly surrendered and was taken into custody without a struggle.

McCoy is being held at the St. Clair County jail on $350,000 bond.

This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 2:15 PM.