BYHALIA — A Wisconsin man wanted on two counts of child rape was taken into custody Thursday following a vehicle pursuit and manhunt that prompted a temporary school lockdown in the Byhalia area.
Authorities identified the suspect as Robert Gower, who is wanted in Sauk County, Wisconsin, on two counts of child rape.
According to officials, Gower was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service, along with deputies from Marshall and DeSoto counties and officers with Byhalia Police.
Investigators said Gower initially fled from law enforcement in a vehicle before abandoning it and running into a wooded area south of East Stonewall Road.
The incident led to a lockdown of nearby schools as a precaution while officers searched for the suspect. The lockdown has since been lifted.
Gower was taken into custody without incident and booked into the DeSoto County Jail as a fugitive from justice. He is also facing additional charges in Mississippi, including disorderly conduct, failure to obey and felony fleeing a law enforcement officer.
He is scheduled to appear in Hernando Circuit Court on the felony fleeing charge. Gower also has a June 26 court date in DeSoto County Circuit Court related to the additional charges.
Authorities said Sauk County is located near the Milwaukee area.
