Early Sunday morning, the Osage County Sheriff's Office received a tip a felon wanted for domestic assault in Cole County was in the Westphalia area and riding a bicycle on U.S. 63.
Deputies intercepted Kenneth Findley Jr. 36, formerly of Folk, near Missouri 133, and short and slow pursuit ended at County Road 609. Findley was identified and taken into custody without incident.
Court records show Findley was charged with second-degree domestic assault and third-degree domestic assault for an incident that occurred the morning of July 4.
Findley allegedly choked a woman at a Jefferson City residence and told her he would kill her, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement.
Police said Findley made the woman get into a car and, while in the vehicle, Findley punched the woman eight-10 times, striking her in the face, arm, ribs and leg.
The two drove to the 500 block of Hutton Lane. Findley allegedly told the woman to stay inside the vehicle, but she ran from the vehicle when Findley was out of her sight and sought help from the closest person available. That person contacted police and hid the woman in another vehicle until officers arrived.
Findley then fled the area.
When authorities did catch Findley, he told them he never assaulted the woman, only "brake checked her" while they were in the car, which caused her to hit her face on the dashboard. He also denied choking her or holding her against her will.
Findley has two previous charges for domestic assault, according to court records, with no convictions in either case. He is a known user of narcotics and had been using methamphetamine for several days prior to the July 4 incident.