A Hawkins County man was charged with carjacking and aggravated kidnapping following an incident early this morning in which he allegedly attempted to drive a pickup truck occupied by a woman from a Baileyton travel center.

Deputy Sheriff Rick Williams said he charged Kenneth Ray Heaton Jr., 33, of Strahl Drive, Rogersville, with carjacking and aggravated kidnapping following the incident that started at the Pilot Travel Center on Baileyton Road, near Interstate 81 in Baileyton.

Arrest warrants filed by Deputy Williams alleged that, shortly after 1 a.m., Heaton entered a parked Ford pickup truck occupied by Brittany Penley, of Kite Road, placed its transmission in gear, and began driving away despite Penley's calls for him to stop.

When Heaton didn't stop, Penley placed the truck's transmission in "Park," causing it to stop, warrants said.

But at that point, Heaton allegedly punched Penley in the face and said, "Don't make me kill you [expletive deleted]," warrants charged.

Before Heaton could get the truck going again, according to Deputy Williams, Derek Thompson, who had been inside the Travel Center when Heaton took his truck without his permission, caught up with the vehicle and pulled Heaton from it.

Following a brief struggle, Heaton fled on foot toward Interstate 81, Deputy Williams said.

After a brief search, officers were told by a clerk at another convenience store that a man matching Heaton's description had been seen walking toward the TA Travel Center [formerly known as the Davy Crockett Travel Center] on Van Hill Road.

Deputies later located Heaton outside the TA Travel Center and took him into custody.

Bond for Heaton was set at $100,000. He was scheduled to appear in General Sessions court on Friday.