HARRISVILLE — A woman in fear for her life raced to the Alcona Sheriff’s Office lobby for safety on Jan. 5, launching an investigation into Richard Coutts Jr., of Barton City, police reported.

On Christmas Day, Coutts held the woman at knifepoint, kept her captive, robbed her to buy drugs, and later stole her vehicle, according to police.

On Jan. 5, police said, Coutts again held the woman at knifepoint and threatened to kill her if she didn’t drive him to Oscoda Township so he could kill a resident there.

When Coutts stopped at a local store to buy alcohol and cigarettes, the woman escaped, speeding to the Sheriff’s Office, she told police.

Deputies found Coutts in Oscoda Township, where another police department had been called after Coutts threatened a resident. Coutts fled the scene when police arrived, but officers of the Oscoda Township Police Department assisted Alcona County deputies and Michigan State Police troopers in finding and arresting him at a nearby residence.

Charged with numerous crimes, including assault with a dangerous weapon, Coutts is being held in the Alcona County Jail — where he allegedly assaulted an officer during booking — without bond.