Man in custody after holding two women hostage

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - One man is in custody after a standoff with police that lasted more than 10 hours.

It all started around 1:30 Sunday morning when 37-year-old John Blake Peterman called 911 and told dispatchers he was holding a hostage at a storage unit on Ladoga Road just outside of Crawfordsville.

When police arrived Peterman told them he was armed with explosives. Police said they found propane tanks with wires running from them around the storage unit.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said State Police Troopers were called in to assist.

"We had several troopers come who were explosive experts to check out the location," Riley said.

Riley said when police arrived there was only one hostage, but it was later determined there had been another before Peterman called 911. She managed to escape.

"There was a shot fired when the one escaped, she basically didn't like what she saw, she left the location," Riley said about the woman that got away. "There was a confrontation between him and her. A shot was fired and she left the location. The other one was still there. He held her for a while."

After about four hours of negotiations, Riley said the second woman was released around 5:30 Sunday morning. Both women were taken to Franciscan St. Elizabeth Hospital in Crawfordsville where they were treated and released.

Riley said negotiations continued until approximately 12 Sunday afternoon when Peterman turned himself in to police. He said the Tippecanoe County robot was sent in to search for explosives after Peterman was in custody. No explosives were found in the storage unit, but police did find several guns. Riley said Peterman doesn't have a criminal background, but he has made similar threats.
        
"There was a situation where he threatened this a week ago, but no hostages were taken at the time," Riley said. "He was taken to a psychological unit where he was evaluated and they released him."

Police said Peterman was homeless, but staying in the storage unit where he held the women hostage.

Peterman is being held at the Montgomery County Jail on one count of criminal recklessness with a weapon, and two counts of criminal confinement.

The identity of the two hostages has not been released at this time.

Police said no one was injured in the incident.