BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. — Four people now face kidnapping charges in Bartholomew County after a man told police he was severely beaten inside an abandoned barn in the early morning hours of June 3. Police are still searching for one of the men charged.
Around 2:50 a.m., police responded to Columbus Regional Hospital on reports that someone was violently beaten.
According to the sheriff's department, the incident happened in the 3400 block of Bonnell Road, near 25th Street and North Talley Road.
The 19-year-old victim from Columbus told police he went with 18-year-old Emily Franklin to go get food. During the drive, Franklin allegedly said she needed to meet up with her sister to give her some money. Franklin allegedly kept changing the location of where she was supposed to meet her sister until they arrived at an abandoned barn in the eastern part of Bartholomew County.
It was there that the man said 19-year-old Zablin Woodruff opened the door and dragged him out of the car by his neck. The man told police 18-year-old Charles Breedlove then punched him in the face and the two dragged him into the barn. Inside, the man said there were other people wearing masks.
The man told police that Woodruff had a knife and cut his face. He claims Woodruff and Breedlove then took turns trying to cut him.
Next, the man claims Breedlove took out a gun and hit him with it in the head several times. According to court documents, the man claims Breedlove then said, "I'm going to blow your head off." Breedlove also allegedly said, "These are your last minutes on Earth" and "This is it."
The victim then claims in the court documents that he was beaten with a stick. He said Woodruff held him down as Breedlove cut off his hair with scissors and used the scissors to cut his neck. A liquid was then poured on his face that burned. He claims Woodruff and Breedlove then tried to break his fingers.
In court documents, the man said he was told to wait in the barn for 30 minutes or he would be beaten even more. His sweatshirt, shoes and phone were then taken.
The man said he was then able to walk to a nearby neighborhood and ask for help.
Police reported the man had a significant amount of dried blood covering the right side of his face. He also suffered a swollen and bleeding lip, a large cut on the right side of his face, a thin cut along his cheek, contusion across his neck, and additional cuts and scrapes on his neck and face.
Investigators went to the barn, where they found blood and human hair.
The man told police about Franklin, Woodruff and Breedlove and that he believed Franklin's boyfriend, 18-year-old Ashton Fields, was also involved but wearing a mask.
When police questioned Fields, he said Franklin drove him, Woodruff and Breedlove to the barn before picking up and bringing the man there. He claims Woodruff and Breedlove were the ones solely responsible for beating the man.
Investigators interviewed Franklin and, according to court documents, she claimed Woodruff and Breedlove asked her to "set up" the man so they could beat him up. A search of her car found a gun, knife, shirts, wallet, human hair and a receipt.
Charles Breedlove, 18, is charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, kidnapping, criminal confinement, and aggravated battery.
Emily Franklin, 18, is charged with aiding, inducing, or causing robbery resulting in serious bodily injury; kidnapping; aiding, inducing, or causing criminal confinement; and aiding, inducing, or causing aggravated battery.
Ashton Fields, 18, is charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, kidnapping, criminal confinement, and aggravated battery.
Zablin Woodruff, 19, is charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, kidnapping, criminal confinement, and aggravated battery.
If the public has any information pertaining to this incident, please contact Detective Kevin Abner at 812-565-5930.