A 25-year-old Columbus man is being held in the Fayette County Jail on abduction and domestic violence charges.

On Tuesday, April 12 at around 7:30 p.m., a Fayette County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a reported domestic violence incident occurring in a moving vehicle on U.S. Route 62 North near State Route 753, headed to Columbus. The alleged victim said that she and her young child were passengers in a vehicle driven by her boyfriend, identified as Levi M. Maurice.

The woman said that Maurice struck her and that he would not allow her to get out of the vehicle, reports said. Two deputies located the white 626 Mazda near Madison Mills and made a traffic stop.

When deputies made contact with the woman and Maurice, the victim told them that she had repeatedly stated she wanted out of the vehicle. According to the report, “she went as far as grabbing the steering wheel at the Point gas station trying to get Levi to pull over so she could take her child and get out of the vehicle.”

She said that when she grabbed the steering wheel, Maurice struck her several times in the face. Deputies said that swelling could be seen around the woman’s right eye and her lip was swollen and bleeding.

Maurice was taken into custody and was transported to the Fayette County Jail, where he is being held on a $12,500 bond. He is charged with third-degree felony abduction and fifth-degree felony domestic violence.