An 18-year-old Huntsville man is facing multiple felony charges after deputies say he pointed a gun at a woman's head and refused to let her leave his residence following an argument over a McDonald's run. Ethan Cruse pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges including second-degree kidnapping, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and third-degree domestic assault.
According to ABC 17 News, the confrontation began on Saturday in Huntsville after Cruse and the woman argued about getting McDonald's. Cruse allegedly took the woman in his vehicle and refused to bring her back to her mother's residence, per the probable cause statement cited by the station.
Gun Allegedly Pointed at Victim's Head
Once at his residence, Cruse allegedly refused to let the woman leave and took her cellphone, according to the outlet's report. The station notes that he allegedly pointed a gun at the woman, and, per the probable cause statement, pointed it directly at her head at one point during the encounter.
Court documents cited by the station allege Cruse also threatened to use an AR-15 or a crossbow and warned he would shoot anyone who tried to help the woman. The probable cause statement further alleges that as they arrived at the residence, Cruse scratched the woman and tore her shirt in the vehicle; when she later tried to leave, he shoved her.
Victim Hid the Weapon and Reached Out for Help
The woman managed to message a friend for help during the ordeal, the report states. She also hid Cruse's gun, according to the account relayed by the same outlet. Cruse allegedly demanded that she not speak to anyone about what was happening.
Law enforcement eventually arrived at Cruse's Randolph County residence, and deputies arrested him at the scene, per the station's reporting. He remains held on a no-bond warrant while the case proceeds through Randolph County's court system.
Bond Hearing Set for Next Week
Cruse has a bond hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on August 17. Under Missouri criminal procedure, bond hearings generally involve decisions about whether to set bail conditions, according to guidance from the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney's office. Judges in these hearings typically assess the severity of violent felony allegations and any victim protection concerns before making that call.
The charges Cruse faces carry substantial statutory exposure. Second-degree kidnapping is a Class D felony under Missouri law, punishable by up to seven years in prison, according to Rose Legal Services, which notes the charge requires proof that unlawful restraint created a substantial risk of serious physical injury. The armed criminal action count is an unclassified felony carrying a mandatory minimum of three years in prison without eligibility for parole during that period, per Combs Waterkotte, which explains that Missouri law requires armed criminal action sentences to run consecutively to, rather than alongside, any sentence for the underlying felony.
Additional Charges Carry Their Own Penalties
The unlawful use of a weapon charge stems from Missouri's prohibition on brandishing or displaying a firearm in an angry or threatening manner, a Class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison, according to the Hartley Law Firm, which points out that even in a constitutional carry state like Missouri, brandishing a weapon during an argument remains illegal. Third-degree domestic assault, also a Class E felony under Missouri law, applies when someone attempts to cause physical injury or knowingly causes physical pain to a family or household member, and it carries a penalty of up to four years in prison, per Rose Legal Services.
The Class E felony tier cited in two of the charges was created by a major 2017 overhaul of the Missouri Criminal Code, the state's first comprehensive rewrite of its criminal statutes since 1979, according to Rooney McBride & Smith LLC. If convicted, Cruse would also face permanent collateral consequences beyond prison time: Missouri law bars expungement of domestic assault convictions from a person's criminal record, per Rose Legal Services.
Huntsville, where Cruse lives, is a small community of 1,376 residents as of the 2020 U.S. Census and serves as the county seat of Randolph County, according to Ballotpedia. Randolph County is located in northern Missouri.
