Jareb Stewart Pleads Not Guilty To Kidnapping

A Natrona County man is accused of taking a woman by knife point against her will.

Twenty three year old Jareb Stewart has pleaded not guilty to one count of kidnapping, one count of aggravated assault and battery by way of threatening with a drawn deadly weapon, and one count of domestic battery.

Investigators with the Evansville Police Department say in late April, a call came in regarding a disturbance on the 200 block of Lathrop Road, and they later learned about the kidnapping.

Through interviews, police say Stewart, the victim and a witness, were in the witness' vehicle, when Stewart pulled a knife and began making threats of violence towards the other two.

Stewart then forced the victim out of the vehicle, put her in a choke-hold, and drug her towards a trailer, while the witness escaped.

He then took her into the bedroom and zip tied her hands behind her back and sat her in a chair, and hit her in the head with his rings, opening a gash on the victim's head.

Police later found the two, and Stewart was taken into custody.

The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for her injuries.

Investigators observed a gash in the victim's head and saw red marks on the victim's wrists, which appeared to be caused by hand restraints.

A motive for the kidnapping has either not been determined or revealed.

Prosecutors said at the preliminary hearing, that Stewart was out on bond in a separate case, where he has been charged with strangulation and domestic battery, against the same victim.

They added that while he's been at the Natrona County Detention Center, Stewart has attempted suicide on at least two occasions.

Stewart is awaiting trial on $100,000 bond and he could face between 20 years to life in prison on the kidnapping charge, if convicted.