Jason Middleton (Hancock County Jail).
An Indiana man rear-ended a woman with her baby in the car and then tried to kidnap and rape her, authorities said.
Court documents indicate that Jason M. Middleton is facing charges of attempted rape, attempted armed kidnapping, and criminal confinement with a deadly weapon. As per a probable cause affidavit sourced by the Greenfield Daily Reporter, Middleton allegedly collided with the rear of a woman’s car while she was paused at an intersection near U.S. 52 and County Road 100 West on April 28 in Hancock County.
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After the collision, both Middleton and the woman exited their vehicles, with Middleton reportedly trying to shift the blame for the accident onto the victim, despite it seemingly being his fault.
“What the f— did I do?” he allegedly shouted at her. “You just hit me twice, and I have a baby in the car,” the woman retorted.
The woman went back to her car and called the police to report the crash and gather her insurance information, police said.
Dispatchers told her officers were headed there and to call back if the other driver left the scene, Indianapolis Fox Station WXIN reported.
Then, Middleton reportedly pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot her and her baby if she didn’t get into his van. She began to fight with him over the gun and he put his hand on the back of her neck, the affidavit reportedly said.
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The woman told cops Middleton told her to “shut the f— up” and “he was going to make her get in the van,” police said.
A witness allegedly saw Middleton and the woman grappling. The victim reportedly yelled, “My baby!” By this time, other motorists had stopped and came to the aid of the woman.
Middleton reportedly took off in the van, but the victim had written down his license plate before their confrontation. Cops reportedly spotted the vehicle shortly thereafter in a nearby county and found him hiding in a storage container.
A gun was not located when Middleton was arrested and he reportedly claimed it was the woman who pulled out the gun on him and he fled the scene, fearing “she was gonna shoot me,” WXIN reported, citing court documents.
Middleton remains at the Morgan County Jail on a $500,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for May 21.
