WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. (WJPF) – A man is in custody for child abduction in Williamson county.

February 27th around 3:30pm, police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Williamson Street in Hurst. Ricky Cooper was observed operating a four wheeler on a public roadway holding a 3 year old child without a helmet.

Cooper disobeyed multiple stop signs and fled. Deputies immediately terminated the traffic stop to avoid endangering the child.

Deputies discovered that Cooper is the child’s father however, he does not have custodial rights and had picked him up from the child’s grandparents.

Around 9:10pm family members advised police that Cooper had contacted them and wanted the child picked  up and would then surrender to law enforcement. 

The child was picked up by his grandmother around 9:30pm

Cooper was taken into custody and faces charges of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Peace Officer, Child Abduction, Obstructing Justice, Endangering the Life of Health of a Child, Driving while License Revoked, Operating an ATV on Roadway, and Operating Uninsured Motor Vehicle.

Cooper is in custody of the Williamson County Jail.