A man and woman have been arrested and charged after investigators say they robbed a group of people during a drug deal, then kidnapped one of the victims, who said he was assaulted and forced to wear a dog collar.
It happened February 15, 2017. The victims told officers they were in the area of Tiffany and Woodland Park to buy cocaine, when several vehicles and suspects pulled up, armed with guns.
They say they were robbed, and their 2003 GMC Yukon was taken. They told investigators one person was assaulted, and another taken in a suspect’s vehicle.
While on the scene, investigators say the kidnapping victim returned, and told them he had first been taken to the Covington Pike Bottoms. He said he was assaulted, and the Yukon was burned.
He said he was then taken to Bartlett, forced to wear a dog collar, and assaulted again, before eventually being released.
Investigators say Justin Harkins and Sharon Austin, both 36-years-old, were identified by the victims as two of the suspects. Investigators say Harkins admitted to being there during the robbery and when the vehicle was burned, and to putting the dog collar on the kidnapping victim and hitting him with a baseball bat. Investigators say Austin admitted to being there during the robbery, and driving the kidnapping victim.
They are both charged with acting in concert: aggravated robbery, acting in concert: theft, acting in concert: aggravated kidnapping, and acting in concert: arson.
