GARDINER – A Gardiner man accused of beating a woman and leading police on a chase in a stolen church van spent the weekend at the Kennebec County Jail facing a number of charges.

The episode unfolded late Friday when paramedics responded to reports of a Chelsea woman being beaten with a tire iron.

Police began searching for the suspect, Peter Grant, 30, and found his car parked outside the East Winthrop Baptist Church. Later, officers realized he had stolen the van, which was registered to the minister.

Grant sped away when officers turned on their blue lights.

“He was throwing stuff out the window of the van at the cruisers trying to catch him,” said Maj. Everett Flannery of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Department.

The chase led to Whitten Road, which leads from Hallowell to Augusta, where the van crossed over a spike mat. Grant didn’t stop, however, until he had made it to Interstate 95 early Saturday, Flannery said.

Charges against Grant include aggravated assault, eluding a police officer, failure to stop and theft, Flannery said. His girlfriend was treated and released from a hospital.