Springfield police arrest man wanted on suspicion of holding pregnant woman for $200 ransom

A Springfield man wanted after allegedly sticking a gun in a pregnant woman’s mouth and holding her for $200 ransom is in the Clark County Jail.

Edward Duane Crawford, 40, of Springfield, was indicted in early March on two different kidnapping charges, one abduction charge, felonious assault, and domestic violence.

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Jail records said that Crawford was arrested by Springfield police late Wednesday night.

According to an affidavit filed in Crawford’s case, the investigation into him began Feb. 22 after officers were sent to the Springfield Regional Medical Center. There, they spoke to the victim, who is pregnant, and who said that Crawford asked her to complete a drug deal for him, the affidavit said.

The document said that the victim told officers she was given an unknown amount of marijuana and told to exchange it for $200 dollars.

However, the victim said, when she met the man and gave him the marijuana, he immediately drove off without giving her the money, the affidavit said.

“(The victim) stated that Crawford came outside after the transaction, and upon discovering that (victim) did not have the money, grabbed (the victim) and dragged her into the resident on Selma Road,” the affidavit said. “Crawford threw her to the ground and proceeded to repeatedly kick her in the stomach.”

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According to the affidavit, the victim told police Crawford hit her with “everything he could reach,” then put a small, silver handgun into her mouth, saying, “You best come up with my money or you and that baby are gonna go.”

At that point, the affidavit said, another woman in the house called the victim’s mother, who met Crawford, the unknown woman and the victim to an intersection, where the victim’s mother gave the unknown woman $200, before taking her daughter to Springfield Regional Medical Center.

Officer said that at the hospital the victim had a swollen upper lip and blood inside her mouth, on her sweatshirt and on her hands, the affidavit said.

Crawford also faces a handful of traffic violations and one charge for failure to comply with the order of a police officer, according to jail records.

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