DECATUR, Ala. — A Decatur man has been charged with kidnapping in the second degree after holding four victims hostage inside his home over the weekend.
According to Decatur police, Central Dispatch received a call in reference to a possible kidnapping.
Officers responded to Solar convenience store at 206 Austinville Rd. and made contact with two adults and two minors who said they had just escaped captivity.
During the investigation, it was discovered that on Nov. 9, John Mitchell held four victims at gunpoint and barricaded them inside his home in the 400 block of Autumnwood Drive SW for more than a day before they were able to escape and contact the police.
According to court documents, one of the victims was Mitchell's roommate. She claims that in the early hours of Nov. 9, Mitchell became upset after she declined his advances. She retreated to her room and went to sleep. A short time later, she woke up to Mitchell holding a handgun in her face telling her to get up. He ordered her into the living room with three other individuals, where they were restrained for hours while Mitchell brandished the handgun and made threatening statements. At some point, Mitchell became distracted and all four of them were able to escape and run to a neighbor's house.
Four warrants were obtained on Mitchell for kidnapping.
On Monday, officers made contact with Mitchell at his home and took him into custody. He is being held at Morgan County Jail on a $200,000 bond.