Accused of torturing cousin, man arrested in southwest Michigan

A 27-year-old man accused of locking a cousin in a cage, throwing hot wax on him and burning him with a lighter has been arrested in Berrien County, Michigan, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said Friday in a news release.

William Bailey, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was apprehended on Sunday in Berrien County by local authorities.

A $500,000 arrest warrant was issued for him last week on a charge aggravated domestic battery.

According to the sheriff's police, Bailey had been staying in his 47-year-old cousin's apartment in an unincorporated area near Des Plaines. Authorities say Bailey punched his cousin and confined him to a dog cage, then threw hot wax on him and burned him with a cigarette lighter.

Investigators said Bailey fled in the victim's 1992 Toyota Camry. Meanwhile, the victim escaped the cage and went to a neighbor, who called for help. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment, where detectives talked with him Sept. 30.

Police said Bailey was found in the victim's vehicle Sunday in southwest Michigan. He remains in custody at the Berrien County jail, pending extradition, the news release said.