By SAXON DAUGHERTY
Staff Writer
A Franklin man is facing false imprisonment charges after he allegedly held a woman against her will Saturday.
A criminal complaint filed through District Judge Andrew Fish’s office said Franklin state police contacted Franklin city police to report a domestic dispute at a home in the 500 block of Third Street.
Officers responded but were only able to locate three children, the complaint said.
A second phone call from the woman who initially reported the incident to authorities revealed she was stranded at Kwik Fill on 15th Street, the complaint said.
Both the children and the woman were later taken to the Franklin Police Department for safety, the complaint said.
During an interview with police, the woman said Albert Schmidt IV, 34, had come to her home uninvited earlier in the day, the complaint said. Schmidt refused to leave and grabbed the woman by her hair when she tried to leave with her children, the complaint said.
The woman also told police that Schmidt punched and choked her, the complaint said.
In addition, the complaint said Schmidt made threats about the woman disappearing forever.
Schmidt later forced the woman into his vehicle so they could go get cigarettes, but he left the woman at Kwik Fill because he was fearful of being found, the complaint said. Schmidt was wanted by probation and parole.
Charges filed against Schmidt include four counts of false imprisonment, three of which are felonies; a felony count of strangulation, a misdemeanor count of terroristic threats, three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of children, and misdemeanor counts of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Schmidt was arraigned before Fish Monday and placed in the Venango County jail after failing to post $100,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing has been tentatively scheduled for May 24 in Central Court.
