Formal charges have been approved against the 38-year-old man accused of holding his girlfriend and her 2-year-old daughter against their will, leading to a lengthy standoff at a Preble County home.
Brian Miller is charged with two counts of abduction, two counts of inducing panic, domestic violence, endangering children and unlawful restraint. His bond is set at $10,085, according to the sheriff’s office.
Montgomery County SWAT and a county hostage negotiation team were called around 10 a.m. Monday to the house in the 10000 block of Gratis-Jacksonburg Road.
Deputies were able to get the woman and child out of the house safely prior to the SWAT team arriving, deputies said.
Simpson said the woman told authorities Miller, armed with a pink small-caliber rifle, had detained her and her child since Sunday night. The sheriff said she told them he wouldn’t let her out of the house and wouldn’t let her have access to the phone.
She was finally able to get to the phone early Monday morning and send a text to a family member.
“That initiated the call to the sheriff’s office,” Simpson said.
Deputies have recovered a rifle they believe Miller used to threaten the woman and law enforcement if they tried to arrest him, the sheriff said.
He said there is a history of domestic violence between Miller and the woman, but would have to check his records to see whether deputies have been dispatched to the address in the past.
Miller was treated at the scene for exposure to tear gas, Simpson said, and the woman and child are with family.
Residents living nearby were denied access to their homes because of the incident, he said.
About the Author