Man Arrested For Kidnapping After Police Standoff

The suspect held a woman at gunpoint last night prior to the standoff

Police have arrested an 18-year-old man on kidnapping charges after he held a female friend at gunpoint and engaged police in a two-hour standoff  Tuesday morning at his home in Winchester.

Joshua E. Ballard, of 127 Mundy Road, was reported missing, endangered and possibly suicidal Monday night. While he was missing, Ballard stole a car and drove through Winchester and Torrington while holding a female friend at gunpoint, police said. Ballard is a convicted felon.

This morning, police found Ballard barricaded in his Mundy Road home. He was unwilling to come out at first, but surrendered without incident after a two-hour phone conversation with an officer, police said.

Ballard was transported to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington and placed in protective custody, according to police.

He was later arrested and charged with first- and second-degree kidnapping with a firearm, third-degree robbery (carjacking), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of under a half-ounce of marijuana and theft of a firearm.

Police searched the house and found the .357 revolver used in the kidnapping.

Ballard is being held on $500,000 bond and is due in Bantam Court on June 19.

He was arrested for a series of crimes in 2010 and later convicted of first-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief, sixth-degree larceny and interfering with an officer.

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