Police: Cahokia Heights woman, son held hostage and beaten for 3 days

A metro-east man has been charged with multiple felonies afer he allegedly held a Cahokia Heights woman and her son hostage in their apartment and beat them for three days.

Johnny J. Turner, 28, was charged Wednesday in St. Clair County Court with five felony counts — including aggravated kidnapping with a firearm, a class X offense — and two misdemeanors in relation to the incident.

Cahokia Heights Police Chief Thomas Trice said law enforcement received a 911 call from Thrifty Hardware and Home Center, 22 Jerome Lane, at approximately 8:20 a.m. Monday.

A man in his 20s with cognitive disabilities said he escaped from the apartment complex across the street, where he and his mother were held against their will for the past three days, beaten and had their lives threatened, Trice said.

The man had serious injuries.

Trice said law enforcement surrounded the apartment and attempted to contact Turner using a public address system. Trice contacted the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System to assist with negotiations, and after a five-and-a-half-hour standoff, Turner emerged from the apartment.

Inside, law enforcement found the woman tied up in a back closet area with life-threatening injuries. Emergency medical services personnel immediately assisted her, and the woman and her son were taken to a hospital.

Trice said both have since been discharged from the hospital and are recovering.

Police did not locate any handguns at the scene, but Trice said investigators found several items that appeared to have been used as weapons, including broom handles and pipes.

Trice said he’s not exactly sure how the son escaped, but he appeared to flee once his captor fell asleep.

The woman and Turner had recently started dating, Trice said. From statements law enforcement gathered and witnesses, there did not seem to be a breakup or altercation that started the incident.

“He just basically snapped,” Trice said.

Trice praised the son’s bravery, as well as law enforcement’s response and investigation.

“The patrol officers responding and criminal investigations team de-escalated the situation rather than rushing in,” Trice said. “That ended up, I believe, saving everybody’s life at the end.”

Turner is being held at the St. Clair County Jail.

The charges he faces, according to court documents, are as follows:

• One class X felony count of aggravated kidnapping with a firearm
• Two class 2 felony counts of aggravated domestic battery
• Two class 3 felony counts of aggravated unlawful restraint
• Two class A misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault using a deadly weapon

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, support is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233. Belleville’s Violence Prevention Center’s 24-hour crisis line is 618-235-0892.