A man was arrested early Saturday east of Lawrence after allegedly battering multiple people and attempting a carjacking in Leavenworth County before fleeing on foot into Douglas County.

According to Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Mike Geer, Leavenworth County and KHP officers first responded just after 10:00 p.m. Friday to a 911 call reporting a disturbance and attempted carjacking at the Lawrence Kansas Turnpike plaza. After using video and eyewitness accounts to develop a suspect description, officers began searching the area between the plaza and the eastern city limits of Lawrence. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Lawrence Police Department also assisted the search.

The suspect was located just before 1:00 a.m. by a Kansas Highway Patrol search airplane as he was emerging from a construction area near Kansas Turnpike exit 204. He was arrested at about 1:00 a.m. on attempted carjacking charges along with multiple aggravated battery and other charges. According to Geer, authorities did not recover any weapons in connection with the incident.

At about midnight Saturday, the Kansas Turnpike Authority issued a text and E-mail alert informing motorists not to pick up anyone walking along roads in the Lawrence area.