CALERA – A kidnapping suspect was arrested on Monday, Dec. 16, after fleeing a Calera gas station and leading police officers on a high-speed chase on Interstate 65 that ended in his arrest.

The Calera Police Department assisted in a kidnapping investigation that was reported in the city of Montgomery during the early morning hours of Dec. 16, according to CPD news release. The victim reported that her ex-boyfriend forced her from a residence in Montgomery, and then forced her into her vehicle.

The suspect, who has been identified as 33-year-old Eric Ashford Humphrey from the Northport-Tuscaloosa area, allegedly drove the woman north along l-65 where they stopped for gas in Calera. While at the gas station, the victim went into the restroom and called 911.

The suspect reportedly forced his way into the restroom, assaulted the victim, and then took her car keys. As Humphrey was leaving the parking lot, a Calera police officer attempted to stop him, but he fled in the victim’s vehicle and the officer pursued him onto l-65 south.

The Chilton County Sheriff’s Office spiked the vehicle the suspect was driving around mile marker 211, at which point he fled into the woods. The CPD, Chilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency conducted a search and caught Humphrey a few hours later. He was spotted by ALEA’s helicopter deep in the woods.

Humphrey will face multiple charges from the Calera Police Department, along with pending charges from the Montgomery Police Department. The victim sustained minor injuries and did not require medical treatment.