Kidnapping, robbery charges filed against local man

By NewsPress Now

A St. Joseph man faces charges of kidnapping and robbery in an incident involving a 13-year-old boy.

Glen Barnett Jr., 35, was arraigned Tuesday morning in front of Associate Circuit Court Judge Chad Gaddie. The charges stem from an Oct. 6 incident in the 1500 block of Savannah Avenue.

According to a probable cause statement filed in the case, several people from a home on that block began chasing a 13-year-old boy who was walking down the street at about 3 a.m. that morning, believing he had broken a vehicle’s window. The boy told police he fell and two men began kicking and punching him, causing injuries to his face. One of the men also stole his phone, the boy said.

The 13-year-old was then dragged into a home and interrogated, with the man who took the phone pointing a shotgun at the boy’s head and threatening to kill him, according to court records. After 10 to 20 minutes, the boy was released and his mother later contacted police to report the incident.

The boy identified Barnett as the person who punched and kicked him, took his phone and pointed the gun at him, the probable cause statement said. A witness to the assault also confirmed the boy was forced inside the home.

Records also showed Barnett sold the boy’s phone later on the day of the incident, the court records said.

Barnett was arrested on Nov. 21 and said he did punch the boy, accompany the person who drug him into the home and sell the phone, the probable cause statement said.

Barnett will next appear in court at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, for a preliminary hearing. He is being held in the Buchanan County Jail without bond.