FRANKLIN COUNTY — A man wanted by Franklin County authorities for allegedly assaulting a police officer with a knife Wednesday in Sesser was taken into custody Thursday afternoon in rural Perry County.

Forty-three-year-old Anthony Lee Melvin was allegedly spotted near Tamaroa riding an ATV. He fled Franklin County in a stolen vehicle and led police on a chase in Franklin and Perry County Wednesday evening.

According to WSIL-TV, police got a call around 3:15 Thursday afternoon about a potential break-in at a home near the intersection of East Tamaroa Road and Collier Creek Road. Police went to the scene where Melvin was reportedly banging on the homeowner’s windows. He was taken into custody.

The Perry County Sheriff’s Office says Melvin is a suspect in a diesel fuel theft case in Perry County. Officials also believe he stole over a dozen vehicles recently.

Melvin is lodged in the Franklin County Jail.