Highland man on run for 44 days nabbed by investigators in his home

A Monterey man accused last month of shooting at his girlfriend multiple times was arrested June 23^rd after being on the run for 44 days.

Charles “Chuck” H. Smith, age 55, is facing multiple felony counts in connection with the shooting, including attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

Highland County Sheriff Bob Kelly said Smith was arrested at his home without incident by Highland Sheriff’s and U.S. Marshal investigators.

‘’U.S. Marshals received tips and we received tips that he was at his house. We went to the house, and low and behold, he was there,” Kelly explained.

Smith did not tell investigators where he had been hiding out all this time, Kelly said.

“He didn’t want to talk. He wasn’t in a very good mood,” Kelly added.

Smith later appeared before a magistrate and is being held at the Middle River Regional Jail.

The shooting incident occurred around 9 a.m. on May 10^th after Smith argued with his girlfriend, who fled in her car, heading east on Route 250 from Monterey, Kelly said.

Smith gave chase, Kelly said, and the argument continued after the girlfriend stopped in the Crab Run area. There, Kelly alleges, Smith damaged her vehicle before firing multiple shots at her as she sat in her car.

The girlfriend, who narrowly escaped injury, fled in her car and called 911 once she arrived in an area that had cell phone service.

Smith fled from the shooting scene and has been the subject of manhunt by U.S. Marshals and Highland sheriff’s investigators until his capture.

On June 11^th, both agencies executed a search warrant at Smith’s home on Route 220, north of Monterey. At that time, Kelly said, Smith was not at the home.