Valley man accused of holding woman against her will at gunpoint

John Steven Chmiel, 46, of Monongahela, was denied bail due to the severity of the charges.

A Monongahela man is accused of kidnapping a woman and threatening her with a loaded gun if she tried to leave.

John Steven Chmiel, 46, was charged with kidnapping to inflict injury or terror, unlawful restraint/serious bodily injury, unlawful restraint/involuntary servitude, terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered and harassment, court records state.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Monongahela police were called to a residence at 202 Frye Ave., where the woman was allegedly being held against her will by Chmiel. Armed with a loaded Springfield Armory XDs .40 caliber handgun, police said he refused to allow her to leave the residence.

The woman was able to flee to a neighbor’s residence, and the victim told police Chmiel had been using methamphetamine, or meth, for 14 hours, according to the criminal complaint. The woman further told police he had been holding her in a bedroom at the residence.

Chmiel allegedly made repeated threats of violence, including threatening to “blow her (expletive) brains out” if she attempted to leave or refused to comply with demands.

According to the criminal complaint, Chmiel was asked to leave the residence. He initially resisted, then exited the residence and was detained without incident.

Court records state that Chmiel allegedly told officers, “(She) should have been scared that I had my gun and that she needed to listen.”

Chmiel was arraigned Monday morning, and remanded to the Washington County Correctional Facility after bail was denied because he used/threatened the victim with a firearm to make the victim compliant.

A preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Mark Wilson is set for 10:45 a.m. Sept. 29.