Reading man accused of kidnapping held without bail

READING, Mass. — The suspect in an Easter Sunday kidnapping and crash is being held without bail.

Reading police say 30-year-old Brian English was taken into custody after a 10-hour manhunt ended with a car crash.

Officers spent most of Easter Sunday searching for English. He faces charges of kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, witness intimidation, and larceny.

Prosecutors say English held his ex-girlfriend against her will for several hours and assaulted her.

"He punched and kicked her in her stomach, ribs and sides of her body while slapping her on multiple occasions your honor,” Assistant District Attorney Maren Schrader said.

In a statement obtained by FOX25, the ex-girlfriend told police that English went into a rage after her friend urged her to cut ties with him.

That same friend called police to go check on the ex-girlfriend.

"During that time period, even after police left, the defendant was holding several kitchen knives. He cut her hair with the kitchen knives. He indicated that if he went to jail for this, he'd slit her throat,” Schrader said.

During the day, heavily armed police surrounded his home on Hillside Road, but did not find English.

After his arrest, English was taken to the hospital for medical treatment was taken to the hospital before his court appearance Monday.

He was also arraigned on charges of operating under the influence of drugs, operating to endanger, failure to stop for a police vehicle, speeding, a marked lanes violation and a stop sign violation connected to his arrest.

FOX25 learned in court Monday that English has an extensive court record with at least 75 cases.

Cox Media Group