COLUMBUS — Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies arrested three teens on felony charges of kidnapping, robbery, criminal confinement, and battery after they allegedly kidnapped and beat a 19-year-old male in a surprise attack in an abandoned barn.
Around 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, deputies with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department responded to Columbus Regional Hospital after a report of a male victim of a violent crime.
Police say the male had a significant amount of dried blood covering the right side of his face, a swollen and bleeding lip, a large cut on the right side of his face, another laceration across his right cheek, a contusion across his neck, and cuts and scrapes on his neck and face.
The victim told police, he accepted an invitation to go out to eat from an acquaintance, 18-year-old Emily Franklin, of Columbus.
Bartholomew Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Dane Duke said but instead of stopping at a restaurant, Franklin drove him to an abandoned barn in the eastern part of the county where masked individuals approached the parked car and pulled the male from the car into the abandoned barn.
Deputies have arrested 18-year-old Charles Breedlove on charges of felony kidnapping, robbery, criminal confinement, and aggravated battery.
Emily Franklin, 18, of Columbus, is facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, criminal confinement, and aggravated battery.
Ashton Fields, 18, of Columbus, is facing felony charges of kidnapping, robbery, criminal confinement, and aggravated battery.
The three are being held at the Bartholomew County jail on a 72-hour hold as of Tuesday afternoon.
Information on the condition of the 19-year-old victim was not available.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Kevin Abner at 812-565-5930.
