Stephen Houk, 47, was arraigned on Monday, May 7, at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center on charges of kidnapping his children and fleeing from authorities in the family’s RV, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Days earlier, Houk and his wife fought in the RV, which was parked in Malibu. Allegedly, he made death threats and pointed a loaded firearm at her. He drove and stopped at a gas station, at which point the wife “asked for help from a passerby who called for help.”
Sheriff’s deputies pursued Houk in the RV for hours, according to multiple reports. He fled from the RV in Bakersfield but was eventually caught and arrested in Bakersfield.
Houk is being charged with the following:
- Kidnapping
- Child abuse
- Injuring a spouse and child detention
- Assault with a firearm by a felon
- Fugitive from justice
- Transient violation of registration
- Misdemeanor
LA County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau is currently investigating the case.