A Wisconsin Rapids man faces felony false imprisonment charges after allegedly refusing to let his girlfriend leave their home.

Stephen Shields, 33, is charged with false imprisonment, a class H felony which carries a maximum sentence of up to six years imprisonment, or a $10,000 fine or both if convicted. He is also charged with misdemeanor bail jumping and disorderly conduct.

According to court documents, a Wisconsin Rapids Police officer was dispatched to a home on the 100 block of 6th St. N on October 16 at about 4:30 AM after receiving reports of a woman who had stuck her head out of a window and yelled for help before reportedly being pulled back inside.

When the officer arrived, he knocked on the door but there was no answer. He entered the home and made contact with Shields and his live-in girlfriend, the reported female victim.

Shields’ girlfriend said she had been trying to leave the residence all day but Shields would not let her and every time she tried to leave he would pull her back into the house. She had yelled for help out the window so she could get her car keys and leave. Shields reportedly hides her keys so she can’t leave.

She said she feared for her safety.

Police observed a bruise on the left side of the woman’s face, two black eyes and redness on her neck. She refused to give information on the injuries and wouldn’t consent to police photographing them.

Shields told police he didn’t answer the door when they knocked because he hoped they would leave.

He said his girlfriend told him she wanted to leave but he told her she should wait and go to bed to calm down. He didn’t know where her car keys were.

The victim’s daughter whom she’d had with Shields told police that “Daddy did touch mommy.” She said she helped her mother yell out the window for help and that Shields would hide her mother’s keys in the laundry.

At the time of this incident, Shields was free on a $500 signature bond set on July 27 regarding charges of disorderly conduct, domestic abuse.

On October 16, a $500 cash bond was issued for Shields but he refused to sign the agreement which required he have no contact with his girlfriend or her residence. He remains in police custody as of his initial appearance in Wood County Circuit court on October 26.

Shields next court appearance is not yet scheduled.