Second Person Arrested In Dec. 19 Felony Battery Incident
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
A second person involved in the alleged beating and kidnapping of a man who bit off at least part of one of his assailant’s fingers was arrested Thursday.
Freddy Lee Roberts, 40, of 5982 W. Kingfisher Drive, Mentone, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 6:10 p.m. Thursday for domestic battery with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $20,250.
According to court documents filed Jan. 4, Roberts faces a charge of criminal confinement, a level 3 felony; aiding, inducing or causing battery while armed with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony; and obstruction of justice, a level 6 felony.
The incident began Dec. 19, when Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department received a report that a motorist was following a gray passenger vehicle when the trunk lid came open and the motorist observed a man in it. The man was bleeding from the head and appeared to have suffered severe injuries. Officers searched the area but did not find the vehicle or the man.
Three hours later, the Noble County Sheriff’s Department received information of a man bleeding from the head located on a roadway in Noble County near Indian Village. He was identified as Eric Crum, no age or address provided.
KCSD Officer Jon Tyler talked to Crum who said he went to Shawn Jefferson’s residence to meet Heather Kay Hersha, 32, of 8013 E. CR 250S, Pierceton, who had invited him over. When Crum walked inside Jefferson’s residence, he was jumped by two men and they hit him with an object and tried to knock him out, according to court documents.
The blow did not render Crum unconscious and a fight ensued. During that fight, Crum bit off part of Jefferson’s finger.
The two men who jumped Crum, Jefferson, Hersha and a man by the name of Frankie tied Crum up and held him captive at the Jefferson residence, court documents state.
Crum told officers that after he was tied up, Hersha and Jefferson put him in the trunk of his vehicle and drove him to an unknown location.
Hersha and Jefferson then drove to a wooded area and parked.
After Jefferson and Hersha left, Crum got out of the trunk and fled through the wooded area to the road.
Jefferson said there was a fight between “a guy named Eric” and he and the guy bit his finger off. Crum said after he bit Jefferson’s finger off, Roberts allegedly threatened him by saying he had a gun.
Court documents do not indicate why Crum was attacked.
Hersha, 32, of 8013 E. CR 250S, Pierceton, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 4:40 p.m. Monday on charges of criminal confinement, a level 3 felony; and aiding, inducing or causing battery while armed with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony. Her bond was set at $20,000 surety with a $250 cash bond.
