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Last updated on Wednesday, April 19, 2017
(BLOOMINGTON) - Bloomington Police arrested three men on kidnapping charges after they allegedly entered an apartment and forcibly removed a male from the residence.
Police found the male 24 hours later in a densely wooded area in Owen County. They discovered that he had been beaten and tied to a tree in a ravine.
On Monday, at 3:16 p.m., Bloomington Police officers were called to 703 W. Gourley Pike in reference to a possible kidnapping. Witnesses told police that at least two individuals had entered the apartment and forcibly removed a male from inside. The group then allegedly placed the man inside a SUV and then left the area.
Officers were familiar with ongoing drug related issues in that area and were able to quickly develop possible suspects in the case.
Detectives began an exhaustive investigation in an attempt to identify the individuals involved in the incident. They also worked to identify the possible victim.
Through interviews with witnesses, detectives were able to determine that 19-year-old Shawn Arnett and 19-year-old Jackie Johnson had entered the apartment and dragged the 21-year-old victim from the residence and placed him in a green Ford Explorer.
Detectives attempted to contact Arnett and Johnson by cell phone but they refused to speak to police. Both were eventually located in the 5000 block of Orange Grove Road in Gosport.
With the assistance of the Owen County Sheriff's Department, the Bloomington Police Department Critical Incident Response Team served a search warrant on the address where Arnett and Johnson were. Both were arrested without incident.
During an interview with detectives, Arnett admitted to being at the apartment on Gourley Pike, but stated that the victim had left the residence out of the back sliding glass door following an argument.
Johnson told police that he picked up Arnett from the apartment on Gourley Pike in addition to 20-year-old Dylan Lutz.
Police also found Lutz at the residence in Gosport during their investigation. Lutz admitted to detectives that he had been with Arnett and Johnson when they went to the apartment on Gourley Pike and carried the victim from the apartment and placed him in the green SUV. Lutz said that they then drove the victim to a rural area in Owen County where they beat him and left him in a field.
With the assistance of the Owen County Sheriff's Office, detectives began an extensive search of the possible locations in an attempt to locate the victim. Investigators feared that the victim may be deceased based on his reported physical condition in addition to the amount of time that had passed since the incident.
Detectives continued to interview the suspects while other officers conducted numerous searches. Eventually Jackie Johnson did admit to being involved in the kidnapping and provided detectives with exact directions to where the victim had been left tied to a tree in Owen County.
Bloomington detectives were then able to locate the victim in a densely wooded area. He had been beaten badly and tied to a tree in a ravine. It appeared that he was left at the rural location for over 24 hours. Officials transported the man to Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital where he is listed in stable condition.
Arnett, Johnson and Lutz were charged on felony charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery, criminal confinement and burglary.
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