Docs: Muncie man held would-be carjacker at gunpoint after calling police, woman arrested

MUNCIE, Ind. — A woman faces a felony auto theft charge after a Muncie man found her inside his car and held her at gunpoint until police arrived.

Chelsey N. Barton, a 34-year-old Muncie woman, was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with one count of auto theft, a level 6 felony. Barton reportedly admitted to police she tried to break into a nearby home before stealing a car.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies were called around 12:15 a.m. to the 3100 block of W. Kepner Street in Muncie for an attempted break-in. Upon arrival, police were told a woman had broken the window of a home before running away on foot toward County Road 200 W.

Moments later, 911 dispatch got another call from a neighbor who said a woman was inside his car and that he was holding her at gunpoint. Police reports show that, a few seconds later, deputies found a man standing in his driveway pointing to a silver Dodge Charger.

Inside the car was a woman, later identified as Barton, who was soon handcuffed. Deputies said Barton had left some bags inside the car but that there was nothing stolen or damaged.

The homeowner told police that he had just gotten home from work when Barton came onto his porch and knocked on his door. He said Barton was acting odd and belligerent, so he asked her to leave.

A few seconds later, the man said he heard the alarm on his Charger going off so he went outside to find Barton sitting in his car and yelling about calling the police. He said he then pulled his firearm out and ordered her to stay put while he called police.

Police then interviewed the woman, who said she was in the neighborhood to ask a relative if she could stay at his house. However, when she got to his house there was no response at the front door. This caused her to try and break in through the window, she said.

She said that as she was breaking into the window and yelling out for the relative, someone hit her in the back of the head with either a fist or a gun. She said she then left the house and began knocking on various doors in the neighborhood looking for a place to stay.

While knocking on doors, the woman said she a man park his Charger and go inside. Hoping that the man had left the fob in the car, she said she hopped inside and pressed the start button. However, the car didn’t start and the alarm was triggered.

“I asked her what she intended to do with the car and she said she was going to drive it to the police station to report a problem with her relative,” a deputy wrote. “Her attitude suddenly changed and she said she wished to speak to an attorney.”

While searching the woman’s backpack, deputies said they found uncapped needles but nothing illegal. During her arrest, Barton said she was in pain from being hit by her relative.

When officers went to speak to the relative, he said he had woken up to Barton’s body halfway inside his window. After telling her to leave, he said she knocked over a shelf and shattered multiple Tiffany figurines onto herself. The relative did not want to file charges but trespassed Barton from his property.

Barton was then taken to Ball Memorial Hospital for a medical check before being booked into the Delaware County Jail.

Online court records show Barton has a prior conviction for residential entry and another for battering an officer with bodily waste. She also has several criminal mischief and trespassing cases filed in Delaware County Court.

An initial hearing has not yet been scheduled in Barton’s case. No other information was immediately provided by police.

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