Staff Report

Dustin T. Coffelt

COLUMBIA CITY — A Columbia City man was recently arrested after allegedly confining a woman in a vehicle and battering her.

Dustin T. Coffelt, 36, 510 N. 400W, Columbia City, is charged with criminal confinement while hijacking a vehicle, a level 2 felony; robbery resulting in bodily injury, a level 3 felony; kidnapping, a level 5 felony; and battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and strangulation, both level 6 felonies.

On Feb. 23, a woman went to the Columbia City Police Department to report an incident that occurred on Feb. 19. A Whitley County Sheriff’s Department officer went to the department and spoke with the woman.

According to court documents, the woman said she had been battered. The officer noticed she had major bruising to each of her eyes.

In an interview with the officer, the woman said she had left a friend’s house when she noticed Coffelt’s vehicle. She went onto a county road to avoid him and returned to her friend’s home.

Coffelt attempted to call the woman, but she turned her phone off.  When she tried to leave her friend’s home again, she passed Coffelt’s vehicle.

Coffelt slowed his vehicle and the woman stopped her vehicle. When the two exited their vehicles, Coffelt asked the woman for gas money and yelled at her.

Coffelt came up to her, pushed her into a ditch and allegedly started to strangle her. He took the woman’s phone and told her to get into his vehicle. Coffelt then dragged her out of his vehicle and told her to get into the passenger side of her vehicle. He took the keys from the woman’s vehicle and moved his vehicle behind hers.

Coffelt started driving west toward Columbia City in the woman’s vehicle. He told the woman to open her phone. When she didn’t, Coffelt hit the woman. The woman told officers this happened multiple times.

She attempted to leave the vehicle but Coffelt grabbed her by the head and prevented her from leaving. He also pulled her head under the steering wheel and punched and backhanded her.

They drove to Coffelt’s relative’s home. When Coffelt fell asleep, the woman got her phone and left.

Multiple times in the interview, the woman said she was scared for her life. She told officers that in the past, Coffelt has said he should just kill her.

Coffelt was booked in the Whitley County Jail on March 18.