A Lacey man accused of kidnapping his wife over the weekend is still at an area hospital, waiting to be medically cleared before he faces charges.
Chae An, 53, was arrested about 8 a.m. Monday without incident, according to Lacey police.
Sgt. Shannon Barnes said Tuesday she was not aware of the man's medical condition. An officer is guarding him at the hospital. Once he is released, he faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree kidnapping/domestic violence and first-degree assault/domestic violence, Barnes said.
About 1 p.m. Sunday, Lacey police were dispatched to a residence in the 3800 block of Rossberg Street Southeast after a report of someone in trouble. Dispatchers told police they could hear what sounded like muffled screaming and a struggle.
Police arrived to find the garage door open. Later, their children came home and said their parents had been home when they left to go to the store 30 minutes earlier. Police searched the home and found duct tape, which they believe was used on the man's wife, Young An, 42.
The Olympian typically doesn't name crime suspects before they appear in court or victims, but both names were previously announced as part of a missing persons search. Washington State Patrol issued an alert about 5 p.m. Sunday for both of them and their vehicle.
Police added that the woman has a domestic violence protection order in place against her husband. The couple currently is in the middle of a divorce, Thurston County Superior Court records show.
About 1 a.m. Monday, Young An pounded on the door of a residence on Stedman Road Southeast, which is south of Lacey, asking for help and explaining that her husband was allegedly trying to kill her.
She later told detectives that her husband had kidnapped her and drove into the woods. She was able to escape, according to police, and walked 20-30 minutes to get to Stedman Road. Young An was later treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
About 7:40 a.m. Monday, a resident spotted Chae An's vehicle in the woods, 200 yards from Stedman Road. He was later taken into custody.
