Baue
Sheriff’s deputies arrested an Indianapolis man they say stabbed a woman and injured two others while wielding two machetes over the weekend outside a Franklin home.
Jonathan E. Baue, 32, was arrested on preliminary charges of domestic battery and battery causing mild bodily injury, both felonies, and battery, a misdemeanor. The Johnson County Prosecutor’s office will decide what, if any, charges to file.
Deputies from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office were called to the 1600 block of South U.S. 31, just south of Franklin, shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday on a report of a man swinging a machete at people. Later, deputies were told the man was on the ground and the machetes had been taken away from him, according to a sheriff’s office report.
The victim told police she had arrived at the Franklin home after visiting Greensburg with a friend, and that Baue had gone to Greensburg looking for her. About an hour after the victim arrived in Franklin, Baue showed up, and 30 minutes later, 911 was called, the report said.
When Baue arrived, he charged toward the victim, wielding a machete in each hand and swinging it at her. She was struck in her abdomen and arm by Baue, according to the report.
A relative of the victim told police after Baue arrived, she heard the victim scream “no” at him and ask him to leave. The relative went outside and stepped in front of the victim to protect her, the report said.
The relative told deputies she saw Baue “stab” the victim in the abdomen and hit her arm with the machetes. Baue then turned toward a neighbor’s home and chased another relative of the victim, according to the report.
He would later return without the machetes after a neighbor tackled him, and the relative said they were injured during the incident, the report said.
Another witness told deputies he heard the victim and Baue scream. The witness saw Baue swinging machetes, and said Baue charged at him with the weapons, according to the report.
The witness was able to get the machetes away from Baue shortly after tackling him to the ground. The witness was also injured during the incident, the report said.
Baue told deputies he had spoken to the victim earlier that day, and she had invited him to the Franklin home. The victim’s friend took away her phone and yelled at Baue, threatening to kill him, he said.
Baue told deputies when he arrived at the home, he thought one of the victim’s relatives was the friend who threatened him. He was carrying machetes to defend himself, according to the report.
Baue said the victim and their relative told him to leave, and the victim walked into the machetes. He denied swinging them, the report said.
Baue said he thought he saw the man who threatened him on the porch and told the person to back up. He later realized it was someone else, and pointed the machete at him, along with another neighbor, according to the report.
A friend of Baue’s was also present, and after the man made a comment to Baue, he gave them the machetes. Baue said he was then tackled by a witness and one of the victim’s neighbors, the report said.
Baue told deputies he did not intend on hurting anyone, but only brought the machetes to protect himself. He also said he had been drinking, and had taken three shots a few hours earlier, according to the report.
He had also driven from Indianapolis to Greensburg to Franklin, according to the report.
Deputies asked if Baue had any proof of threat’s against his life other than his word, and Baue said he did not. Baue also told police he texted the victim’s brother and told him that he would not hurt the victim, but wanted to “kill” the friend who threatened to kill him.
Baue was then taken to the Johnson County jail and was given a preliminary breath test. Results showed he had a blood alcohol level of .226 — nearly three times the legal limit. He remains at the jail on a $3,400 bond.
