Suspect arraigned after attempted armed kidnapping, fleeing

Carl Emerson Travis, 51, of Grosse Pointe, was taken into custody Friday night when he was chased more than 26 miles into Detroit by police after allegedly trying to kidnap a female at gunpoint at a Van Buren Township apartment complex.
Van Buren Township Deputy Chief Joshua Monte said the patrol division responded to a 911 call at 9:09 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Waverly apartments where a caller said he witnessed a male armed with a handgun attempting to drag a female into a vehicle.
Deputy Chief Monte said officers arrived and observed a physical struggle inside a vehicle between the male and female. The female victim was able to exit the vehicle and run to the safety of the responding officers.
The male subject fled on foot to his vehicle parked nearby. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the suspect vehicle as he was fleeing the scene.
The suspect refused to stop and officers pursued the vehicle onto eastbound I-94 into the city of Detroit. The suspect exited onto Trumbull Avenue from eastbound I-94 in the city of Detroit, lost control of his vehicle and struck a pole disabling the vehicle.
Deputy Chief Monte said the suspect fled from the vehicle on foot and was apprehended by Van Buren officers following a foot pursuit. Van Buren police officers were assisted by Trooper 2, the Michigan State Police Helicopter, and Romulus Police Department during the pursuit. The Michigan State Police took the single-vehicle crash report.
“This incident was not random, but a targeted act,” Deputy Chief Monte said. “The victim knew the suspect. I would like to commend the involved officers. Their quick and measured response likely prevented a tragic incident.”
On Monday, 34th District Court Judge Lisa Martin arraigned Travis on one count of unlawful imprisonment, one count of domestic violence assault, two counts of resisting and obstructing police, one count of fleeing and eluding, one count of reckless driving and charged as a habitual offender. He was given a $500,000/10% bond. He was currently on a tether, out on bond for fleeing and eluding from an Oakland County case.
Travis, who was arraigned virtually from the Van Buren Township police lockup, objected to the high bond because he said he takes care of his five-year-old daughter and works in his construction company.
Prosecutor Sona Movsisyan said the complainant has a current personal protection order against Travis and he may have followed her to the apartment in violation of the PPO. She said because of his long history of arrests and the dangerous driving during the chase, he is a danger to the public. She said she has been told that Travis won the lottery a couple of years ago and has access to money. She asked for a high bond even higher than what set.
Judge Martin said because of the public safety issue she would not reduce the bond. If he posts the bond, he must stay away from the complainant and wear a tether. His virtual probable cause conference was set for 8:30 a.m., Aug 17, at 34th District Court.