A Middletown man was charged with six counts of abduction, all felonies, after he allegedly took two children and held three more and a woman against their will Dec. 30 in the 2100 block of Arlington Avenue, according to police.

Grayson Lawson, 32, of Arlington Avenue, allegedly was holding an 18-month-old and a 2-year-old in a white van after he assaulted Angela Hall-Thompson, 33. When police arrived around 10 a.m., Lawson tried to flee the area, but was stopped by police in the backyard. Police found a hypodermic needle in his front right pocket and he was arrested for drug paraphernalia/needle.

Hall-Thompson told police that Grayson had a large lock blade knife and he used it to slash the bed mattress. He then threw the knife into the ceiling, she told police. He then moved the ceiling tiles and looked up into the ceiling to make sure no one was up there, she told police.

He also took the knife and was stabbing and slashing it back and forth, stating he was going to kill everyone and that he wasn’t going to allow anyone out of the house. He cut Hall-Thompson on her left middle finger, police said. There were four children in the house.

She told police that Lawson broke her cell phone so she couldn’t call police. She also told police that Grayson took two of her children, both girls, and put them in the 2001 Dodge van without her permission. He punched her in the face twice, then left the area in the van, she said.

He then returned to the area. When police arrived, they allowed Hall-Thompson to get her two children out of the van. Officers found a knife and an open bottle of alcohol in the front seat of the van.

In addition to the abduction charges, Lawson was charged with domestic violence, felonious assault, interference with custody, driving under suspension, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and open flask.

Lawson is in the Middletown City Jail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 7 in Middletown Municipal Court.