Teen accused of taking staff member, two other kids hostage at children's home

LEBANON — A boy who lived at a Lebanon children's home is accused of taking a staff member and two residents hostage in an attempt to get to Indianapolis, police said Wednesday.

Officers with the Lebanon Police Department responded to a report of a hostage situation in the area of State Road 39 and the Interstate 65 overpass around 11 a.m. Saturday, according to a news release.

A female staff member with the Indiana United Methodist Children's Home told police that the boy grabbed her by the mouth, held a butter knife to her side and told her to get a set of car keys and drive him to Indianapolis.

The staff member said she told the boy she could not take him to the city because two other children were under her care. The boy then told the staff member and two residents to get in the car, according to police.

The staff member said the boy put the knife in the glove compartment after she told him it scared her.

“The staff member said when the vehicle came to a stop at the I-65 overpass, one of the juveniles in the back seat grabbed the suspect, and the staff member ran from the car to a nearby business and called the police,” the news release said.

Police arrived at the scene and detained the boy. He was transported to the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center on preliminary charges of kidnapping, criminal confinement, intimidation with a deadly weapon, strangulation, battery, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

The Indiana United Methodist Children's Home is located in the 700 block of West Camp Street in Lebanon.