Docs: Chicago man abducted Indiana 19yearold at gunpoint
Jan 21, 2025
GRANT COUNTY, Ind. — A man from Chicago has been arrested on a slew of felony charges for allegedly abducting an Indiana 19-year-old at gunpoint and threatening to kill anyone who tried to stop him.
Ronald Gayles mugshot
Ronald D. Gayles, 21, was arrested early Monday after he was found receiving medical treatment in a Lake County hospital. Authorities found out Gayles had checked into the hospital with a young woman who had reportedly been abducted from Grant County earlier in the day.
Grant County Sheriff's Deputies were called around 9:30 p.m. Sunday to a local apartment complex for a reported domestic disturbance involving a gun.
Upon arrival, police were told by witnesses that Gayles had broken into their apartment and threatened to kill them.
Witnesses described how Gayles was armed with a gun when he forced his estranged 19-year-old girlfriend to leave the apartment with him.
Deputies investigating the abduction found enough evidence to get a warrant filed for Gayles' arrest. Within a few hours, police tracked Gayles and the victim to Munster Community Hospital in Lake County. It is unclear what treatment the two were receiving.
Local officers soon found Gayles and the victim inside the hospital and recovered the weapon that was allegedly used in the abduction. Gayles was taken into custody while other officers confirmed the victim was safe.
Gayles was then taken to the Lake County Jail pending transport back to Grant County. He was booked on the following charges:
Burglary - Level 2 Felony
Kidnapping - Level 3 Felony
Criminal Confinement - Level 3 Felony
Intimidation - Level 5 Felony
Domestic Battery - Level 5 Felony
Criminal Recklessness - Level 6 Felony
Residential Entry - Level 6 Felony
Gayles' bond has since been set at $300,000 cash or surety. Online court records have not yet been updated to reflect an initial hearing date in Gayles' case.