Suspect who barricaded self in attic faces Hendricks charge

Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Joshua Joyner

A 31-year-old Greencastle man who had to be coaxed from the attic of his new residence by authorities employing a fire department ladder to reach him is being held on $3,500 cash bond following his appearance Monday in Putnam Circuit Court.

Judge Matt Headley entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of Joshua W. Joyner to charges of criminal confinement (a Level 6 felony) and battery resulting in bodily injury (a Class A misdemeanor) for allegedly beating and confining a 34-year-old female acquaintance at the 303 S. Jackson St. residence he is moving into.

Joyner appeared before Judge Headley for his initial hearing via video from the Putnam County Jail Monday afternoon. He said little as authorities read the charges against him and noted his recent arrest violates his Hendricks County probation on a burglary charge.

Putnam County Prosecutor's Office officials thought Joyner would be eligible for a habitual criminal offender sentencing enhancement as well, but Chief Deputy Prosecutor Justin Long noted that although Joyner has two other felonies on his record," unfortunately the dates overlap," so the habitual offender tag cannot be used in his case.

With Joyner wanted in Hendricks County on a warrant for failure to appear in court and for being in violation of his probation (in effect through 2019, the defendant said), Joyner will be headed for Danville for further proceedings.

"Will I be able to go to the other jail and be booked in?" Joyner asked the court in his lengthiest response of the hearing.

That, Judge Headley said, will be up to the two county prosecutors and two jails to work out.

"Mr. (Chief Deputy Prosecutor) Long will be in contact with the other court to see if they want to transport you over there first and then come back here," Headley explained.

In the meantime, Joyner was ordered to have no contact with his alleged victim.

Judge Headley named attorney Sid Tongret as a public defender for Joyner and set a 10 a.m. pretrial conference in the case for May 21.

The case began to unfolded early last Thursday as Joyner allegedly became violent when he reportedly became desperate for drugs, his alleged victim said. During the five-hour period that followed Joyner reportedly choked the woman, struck her in the head, pulled her hair and scraped her face with a folding knife, all along with reportedly threatening to kill her, court documents state.

Authorities noted that evidence seems to document that the woman displayed bruising, a scratched face and redness around her neck consistent with her statement of being battered and choked.

Later that morning Joyner reportedly told her not to tell anyone what had happened, threatening that he was in a gang and his actions were designed to see how tough

she was.

When an argument ensued as the two walked to a Greencastle store, the woman walked away, found a friend to take her to the police station and filed a complaint against Joyner that led police to his residence.

Joyner was arrested by Greencastle City Police officers Thursday afternoon after initially barricading himself in the attic in an ill-fated effort to avoid apprehension.

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