MAN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING

AFTER HOLDING GUN TO WIFE’S HEAD IN AMHERST

Amherst – Amherst Police have charged 50 year old Robert Gonzalez of Lorain with 2 counts of Kidnapping after he was found holding a gun to his wife’s head late Wednesday night in downtown Amherst.

An Amherst Police Officer was flagged down by a citizen alerting him that a man had a gun and directed them to where he and the female victim (later identified as his wife Nawassa Gonzalez (age 32) were located.

The officer took a position in the street and advised other officers of the situation. At that time, there was another Amherst police officer that was on foot approximately one block south of the disturbance. At the same time, Police Dispatchers received two 911 calls, indicating there was a male with a gun who was holding a female hostage.

Several other officers responded to the area – The first officers on scene located the suspect and a female victim, who both fell back into an alcove of a downtown business. The first officer radioed to other officers that the suspect did in fact have a weapon pointed to the head of the female.

The male citizen, after advising the first officer of the situation, went up to the suspect in an apparent attempt to get the gun from him. The male citizen was standing partially in the alcove and over the suspect Gonzalez and female victim. The Amherst police officer who was approaching on foot was giving verbal commands to the male citizen to show his hands. While the officer was giving commands to the male citizen, at some point the male citizen was able to get the gun away from the suspect Gonzalez.

For an unknown reason, the male citizen, now with gun in hand, then turned and ran in the direction of the police officer who was approaching on foot. That officer, seeing the male running toward him with a gun pointing in his direction and fearing for his safety, fired one shot from his duty weapon but did not strike the male citizen. The male immediately dropped to the ground and was later taken into custody without further incident. Gonzalez was also taken into custody.

A loaded 9mm handgun was recovered from the scene.

At this time, it appears that the male citizen did not know Gonzalez or his wife. There were no injuries reported in this incident. Several witnesses were identified and interviews were conducted.

Gonzalez and the male citizen were transported to the Amherst Police Department. Gonzalez was formally charged with 2-Counts of Kidnapping (F-1), 1-count of Carrying a Concealed Weapon (F-4), 1-count of Carrying a Concealed Weapon in a Liquor Establishment (F-3), 3-counts of Aggravated Menacing (M-1) 1-count of Domestic Violence (M-1), 1-count of Criminal Damaging (M-2), and is being held in the Lorain County Jail without bond. Additional charges are pending.

The male citizen was arrested on an outstanding warrant from another police agency and charges may be pending from the Amherst Police Department.

The area was processed by the detective bureau and remains under investigation.