Docs: Redkey man kidnaps, batters woman near Ridgeville

REDKEY, Ind. — A Redkey man was arrested in Randolph County after he reportedly battered a woman and kidnapped her, leading police to find her near a location in Ridgeville.

According to court documents filed earlier this month in Randolph County, Gary Hines was arrested on the following charges:

• One count of kidnapping with serious bodily injury, a Level 3 felony
• One count of kidnapping with moderate bodily injury, a Level 4 felony
• One count of criminal confinement resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 3 felony
• One count of criminal confinement with moderate bodily injury, a Level 4 felony
• One count of battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony
• One count of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a Level 6 felony
• A misdemeanor count of invasion of privacy

Hines was arrested by a deputy with the Jay County Sheriff’s Department on Aug. 27 after he was reportedly linked to the disappearance of a woman. Investigators were provided trail video of an area in Randolph County which reportedly showed a shirtless man, who officials allege is Hines, as well as the woman’s Jeep.

Law enforcement was dispatched to the area that was featured in the video where they reportedly found the woman’s Jeep, as well as the woman lying on a blowup mattress. The documents said that she was “barely conscious” and had several bruises. The woman was later airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital.

In an interview with the woman the next morning, she told police that she was driving to work when she saw a vehicle following her, driven by a person later identified as Hines. Eventually, Hines pulled alongside the woman’s Jeep and “began to push her off the roadway.”

After she pulled over, Hines reportedly grabbed her out of the Jeep and began to hit her, kick her and spit on her. The documents said that Hines reportedly hit the woman in the head with her cell phone because he was upset about reported communications between the woman and another man.

After Hines reportedly beat on the woman, he demanded that the woman show him where the other man lived. They reportedly drove around for a while and she said that “she did not know where (the other man) lived.”

“She said that this made (Hines) even more angry because he believed that she did know where (the other man) lived,” the documents said. “She said that they finally drove back to where her Jeep had been left and (Hines) became more physical with her.”

The woman reportedly told police that this was not the first time that Hines was physical with her. The documents said that there was a no-contact order against Hines that was issued in September 2023 after he had former charges of strangulation and domestic battery against the woman.

“She said that she was afraid that this time, (Hines) was going to do something bad like kill her,” the documents said. “She stated that when he started hitting her, it hurt so bad that she started seeing stars. She reported that she believes she lost consciousness but didn’t know for how long.”

At this point, the woman reportedly called into work, telling a co-worker to tell “Dr. Green that she… was not going to be in” that day. According to the court document, a witness told police that “Dr. Green” served as a code word between the co-workers that the woman was in trouble.

Eventually, Hines reportedly let the woman leave and she drove towards Ridgeville. Eventually she pulled her Jeep onto a path. The court documents state that around 10-15 minutes later, she heard Hines’ truck and he began to yell at her again.

Hines reportedly made the woman get out of her Jeep and into his truck. The documents said that Hines eventually fell asleep. The woman told police that she left the truck after asking Hines if she could use the restroom, and then took off running through the woods.

After running off, the woman reportedly hid in the woods until she heard Hines leave in his truck. The documents said that the woman then went back to her vehicle and stayed in the location where officers later found her.

In an interview with Hines, he reportedly told police he ran into the woman by chance, stating that he reportedly found a tracking device in his vehicle that he claims the woman placed there.

Hines said he wanted to confront the woman about the reported device. The documents said that they began to argue and “it got heated.” When asked if things got physical, Hines reportedly said that he “got physical with her.”

“I was f—— mad, crazy,” Hines reportedly said. “…I’m not trying to get out of anything man, I know I hurt her and I know I hurt her pretty good.”

Later that day, Hines said that they apparently met again in his truck near Ridgeville Hines told police that the woman went to the bathroom and got out of the truck. When Hines looked for the woman, she was “gone.” He reportedly looked for her for an hour and could not find her, so he left.

The documents said that Hines denied being physical with her in the second location.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 59.