Man threatens to shoot woman’s baby if she won’t get in his van, IN cops say

An Indiana woman was driving with her baby in the car when a man crashed into her, then tried to kidnap her at gunpoint, according to police and news outlets.

Jason Middleton, 45, of Arlington, is facing charges of attempted rape, attempted kidnapping, and criminal confinement with a deadly weapon, Hancock County court records show.

McClatchy News reached out to an attorney listed for Middleton, but didn’t immediately receive a response.

The woman was on her way home after an eye appointment, on April 28, when she saw a blue van quickly closing in behind her, she told deputies with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. The driver was erratic, repeatedly pulling up beside her in traffic, then slowing down and speeding up again, she explained to deputies, WXIN reported.

She continued along U.S. Route 52, and had to stop for a pickup truck making a turn in front of her. She predicted what would happen next — the blue van slammed into the back of her car, the station reported.

The woman pulled off the road, ready to exchange information, according to police. She called police to share a description of the van, then ended the call, the WXIN reported.

Middleton got out of his van to speak with her. He seemed cooperative at first, shared his insurance info, then suddenly pulled a gun from his pocket and told her if she didn’t get in his van, he would shoot her baby and rape her, according to the outlet.

She fought back, and investigators say she and Middleton “struggled over” the gun, according to the Greenfield Daily Reporter. One witness told deputies it looked like Middleton “was trying to pull the woman” out of her car, and they could hear her screaming about her baby. The witness stopped and shouted at Middleton, at which point he ran back to his van and drove away, the outlet reported.

The woman told deputies she’s surprised she wasn’t shot, the outlet reported, as Middleton had a finger on the trigger and the barrel was pointed at her during the struggle. He had one hand on the gun, and kept trying to pin her down with his other hand, the woman told deputies.

Authorities were able to find Middleton quickly since the woman had already reported his license plate number, the outlet reported. They located the van first, then discovered Middleton hiding in a storage container on a property in Fountaintown.

He refuted the woman’s story and witness accounts, saying she pulled a gun on him after the accident, deputies said, according to the outlet.

Middleton’s bond was set at $500,000, records show. A jury trial is scheduled for July 7. He has pleaded not guilty.

Hancock County is about a 20-mile drive east from downtown Indianapolis.

This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Man threatens to shoot woman’s baby if she won’t get in his van, IN cops say."