Armed men held Indiana woman captive to steal her stimulus check, cops say

Four Indiana men held a woman captive for several hours in her home while trying to steal her stimulus check, authorities said.

The armed suspects, who allegedly used a stolen key, busted into the woman’s Lake Station residence as she was sleeping early Sunday, according to court documents obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

The men, all of whom knew the victim, took the woman’s phone and demanded the money, knowing she had recently received a stimulus check. One of the suspects also held a gun to her face and released its clip to prove it was loaded, police said.

“These are for you,” suspect Christopher Henderson allegedly told the woman, referring to the bullets in the firearm.

Another suspect, Phillip David Guzman, then assaulted the woman after the men were unable to find any money. The three other suspects ultimately restrained Guzman, court documents show.

The men fled the home at about 6 a.m., more than four hours after allegedly storming inside at 1:30 a.m. Before leaving, they told the woman not to go anywhere since they planned to return, police said.

The victim ignored that threat and drove to a police station. Henderson, Guzman and two other suspects — Paul David Blankenship and Jacob Baughman — were arrested later Sunday, investigators told the newspaper.

The four suspects were charged Monday on five counts including burglary with a deadly weapon, attempted armed robbery, and criminal confinement with a deadly weapon.

A judge ordered Blankenship to be held without bail, while bond for Henderson, Guzman and Baughman was set at $75,000, the newspaper reports, citing court records.

via: https://nypost.com/2020/04/24/indiana-men-held-woman-captive-for-hours-for-stimulus-check-cops/

Photo Credit: Lake County Jail