AMBER ALERT canceled, suspect in custody

DAVENPORT - The man accused of abducting his stepdaughter Saturday afternoon is in custody at the Scott County Jail awaiting a return to Johnson County where he will face domestic abuse and weapons charges.

According to the Scott County Jail website and jail staff, Kenneth Eugene Johns, 48, was booked at the jail shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday. A hold for Johnson County has been placed on Johns. Jail staff said he faces charges of domestic abuse, displaying a weapon and parole violation.

An AMBER ALERT was issued Saturday afternoon when Johns allegedly abducted his 10-year-old stepdaughter, Brianna Crane, from Solon. Crane was dropped off by a third party around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. She is in good condition, but police have said little else about the circumstances of her return.

A statement from Davenport Police Chief Don Schaeffer said authorities learned Johns was in Davenport shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday. By 7 a.m. Sunday, investigators had determined Johns was in a house in the 2600 block of Farnam Street. The department's Emergency Service Team and negotiators were sent to that address, along with a BearCat armored vehicle belonging to the Bettendorf Police Department, according to the statement.

After two and a half hours of negotiating, Johns was taken into custody by authorities in Davenport at that residence. Chief Schaeffer said officers moved in to arrest Johns after his dialogue became 'more threatening and violent.” No one was injured in the apprehension, public safety sources said.

Johns' connection to the home on Farnam Street wasn't immediately known, though Chief Schaeffer said he did not live there.

Johns will be returned to Johnson County to face charges there. However, jail staff said they could not comment on whether arrangements had been made to return Johns to Iowa City.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office says the incident still is an active investigation.

Johns has an extensive criminal record. In 2006, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison on several charges including a controlled substance violation and assault while participating in a felony. He was paroled in 2013.