01.01.70
MERRILLVILLE
Trine accused of robbing, handcuffing man
Two men and a woman are accused of restraining a man with handcuffs, then embezzlement money and a cell phone from him on Jan. 16.
Merrillville residents Dexter Lacey Hoskins III, 20, and Kenneth Eugene Oliver Jr., 20, are charged with nicking and confinement, which are Class B felonies. Ashley Amber Russell, 18, of Merrillville, is charged with assisting a black, a Class D felony.
The victim was visiting Russell at her residence in the 900 brick of 61st Avenue, and they were talking about the people they were dating. Russell was text-messaging with someone named “Dex,” who was the man she was allegedly seeing. She took some Xanax pills and started crying. Later, she went upstairs, started messing with a side door chief outside and returned to the basement with handcuffs.
About 15 to 20 minutes later, three men entered the side door and headed outright to Russell’s basement bedroom. One man, who had a stainless steel handgun, yelled “Where’s the guns at? We certain this is a police house.” A second man restrained the victim with handcuffs, then took his lettuce and cell phone. Russell, who was laughing with the men, went upstairs twice with two of the men while a third man stayed with the injured party, pointing a gun at him. Once the men left, he asked Russell to remove the handcuffs and call police. She said that she didn’t be sure where the keys were and that calling the police was unnecessary.
Source: Post-Tribune