Three bodies have been recovered from the home of a Springfield, Massachusetts, man who was arrested over the weekend on kidnapping and other charges after a woman in his car accused him, PEOPLE confirms
Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni briefed reporters on the grisly discovery late Thursday, but did not disclose the ages, genders, or identities of the deceased people.
“I am now confirming that a third body was recovered,” said Gulluni at the press conference, adding that the bodies were found “in and around” the residence of 40-year-old Stewart Weldon, who was arrested Sunday.
Weldon allegedly crashed into a police cruiser Sunday following a brief pursuit by officers, who attempted to pull him over for a broken taillight, according to charging documents obtained by PEOPLE. He allegedly struggled with police as they handcuffed him.
He was charged with armed kidnapping with serious bodily injury, threat to commit a crime, resisting arrest, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, and failing to stop for police after a woman who was in his car at the time of the crash alleged to police he had held her against her will for a month, physically assaulting her with a hammer and raping her.
“Thank you for saving my life,” the woman told officers, according to a police report obtained by MassLive.com. “I never thought I would get away.”
The alleged victim is being treated at a local hospital for a number of injuries, including a possibly fractured jaw, stab wounds to her abdomen, a leg infection and wounds inflicted with a blunt object, the outlet reports.
Gulluni said police began searching Weldon’s home Wednesday night.
“Stewart Weldon who was arrested on May 27 by the Springfield Police Department does, we believe, live at this address,” Gulluni told reporters. “That is the extent of the connections we are willing to say at this point.”
Weldon is being held on $1 million bail and has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
He has not been charged in connection with the dead bodies found at his home, and Gulluni did not confirm that he was a suspect in the deaths.
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