Decatur man arrested on kidnapping charges

(Decatur Police Department Alabama/Facebook)

DECATUR – A Decatur man was arrested on charges of kidnapping after holding four people at gunpoint and keeping them in his house, police said.

John Derek Mitchell (Morgan County Jail)

According to Decatur Police, John Derek Mitchell allegedly held four people at gunpoint and barricaded them inside his residence in the 400 block of Autumnwood Drive for more than a day before they escaped and contacted the police.

Police said Central Dispatch received a call Sunday evening in reference to the possible kidnapping near the intersection of Sandlin and Austinville roads. There, officers made contact with two adults and two juveniles who said they had just escaped from a nearby location. The on-call violent crimes detective responded to begin an investigation. 

On Monday, officers made contact with Mitchell at his residence and took him into custody on four counts of kidnapping in the second degree. He was transported to the Morgan County Jail where he remains on a $200,000 bond.

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