BROWNSTOWN — A 37-year-old Columbus man with a history of kidnapping accusations was arrested after he was accused of attempting to kidnap a woman earlier this week outside a Brownstown nursing home, police said.
Joseph Michael McLaughlin faces a Level 5 felony charge of kidnapping after he attempted to kidnap an employee of Hoosier Christian Village in the parking lot on April 10.
The incident that led to McLaughlin’s arrest began after police were called to the nursing home at 621 S. Sugar St. at 10:32 p.m.
According to the probable cause affidavit signed by Brownstown Officer Jordan Hawn, when he responded to the incident, a female employee told him McLaughlin had followed her to her vehicle as they left the nursing home at the same time.
She told Hawn that McLaughlin followed closely behind as she went to her vehicle to get a scarf.
McLaughlin, who had just dropped someone off at the nursing home, told the woman he thought his mother’s truck was parked in the area.
When the woman got close to her vehicle, McLaughlin put a hand on her shoulder and put something against her back, which she believed to be a gun, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Police did not find a gun when he was arrested.
She said McLaughlin told her “to get in her car and she was going to give him a ride,” a request she refused.
McLaughlin backed away from her and ran, getting in his truck and driving away, Hawn said.
The woman sat in her vehicle and locked it for 10 minutes before going back into the nursing home to call police, according to court documents.
Police were not able to locate McLaughlin until Wednesday morning when Seymour Sgt. Brandon White called and told Hawn he had been found in Seymour.
Seymour Officer Ben Miller then conducted a traffic stop on McLaughlin’s vehicle and took him to the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
