Half-million dollar bond set for accused Como kidnapper

COMO – Bond was set at $500,000 Tuesday for the man accused of holding a woman hostage for more than 3 hours Thursday in this village west of Sterling-Rock Falls.

Jason A. Chapman, 41, of Como, is charged with aggravated unlawful restraint, unlawful restraint, possession of less than 5 grams of meth, and possession of less than 2,000 grams (4.4 pounds) of marijuana. All carry 2 to 5 years in prison except unlawful restraint, which carries 1 to 3 years.

He also is charged with domestic battery and possession of marijuana, both misdemeanors.

The court had ordered a risk-assessment report on Chapman before determining his bond.

According to state statute, such reports are ordered at the court’s discretion when a person is charged with violating an order of protection, or is charged with “domestic battery, aggravated domestic battery, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, unlawful restraint, aggravated unlawful restraint, stalking, aggravated stalking, cyberstalking, harassment by telephone, harassment through electronic communications, or an attempt to commit first degree-murder committed against an intimate partner regardless whether an order of protection has been issued against the person.”

Chapman also is the subject of three orders of protection filed by his ex-wife, on Feb. 6, June 22, and Dec. 8. Their divorce was finalized June 30, Whiteside County court records show.

In addition, he was charged Nov. 3 with aggravated battery in a public place, for which he also faces 2 to 5 years.

Chapman was free after posting $3,000 of his $30,000 bond in that case when Thursday’s incident occurred. He posted bond on Dec. 11, pleaded not guilty Jan. 5, and has a pretrial hearing Feb. 28.

According to investigators, Chapman barricaded himself inside his home with a woman around 4 p.m., released her and surrendered around 7:30 p.m. No one was injured.