PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A Port St. Lucie man is behind bars after police say he armed himself with a baseball bat and chased down a group of children riding bikes through a neighborhood street.

Port St. Lucie Police responded to a call on June 4, regarding an aggravated assault near the intersection of SW Fears Avenue and SW Crenshaw Street. A victim, who was a minor, told responding officers that he and his friends were riding past a residence when a man began screaming from his driveway before running after them with the weapon. The victim reported that the suspect chased the group down the street and swung the wooden bat, barely missing him.

The terrified children managed to pedal away to a nearby home on SW Crenshaw Street, where they immediately contacted their parents for help. Responding law enforcement officers subsequently located the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Elvis Stephens Jr., sitting outside his home at 1931 SW Fears Avenue with the baseball bat resting on his lap.

According to the arrest report, Stephens initially refused to comply with law enforcement, ignoring multiple verbal commands while muttering incoherently to himself and using his cell phone. Officers noted that he also had a pair of scissors on his lap, which he briefly concealed in his pocket before compliance was gained.

An officer unholstered a Taser to secure the scene, and Stephens eventually placed both the scissors and the bat on the ground before being safely detained. Port St. Lucie Police determined there was probable cause to charge Stephens with aggravated assault and child abuse, noting that his actions placed the victim in fear for his life.

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Arresting officers stated in the report that Stephens appears to suffer from mental illness and had been subject to two recent Baker Acts. Investigators indicated that a referral to a specialized mental health court may offer the best long-term resolution for the case.

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Stephens was transported and booked into the St. Lucie County Jail without further incident.