Texas woman charged in kidnapping

Incident under investigation by the FBI

by Olivia Lueckemeyer

A 25-year-old Texas woman has been charged following a hostage incident that occurred over Monarch Pass on February 23.

Jillian Mercedes Williams allegedly used a gun and knife to force her former boyfriend to drive her out of state, violating her bail conditions following a burglary incident. The male victim was eventually able to barricade himself in his semi-truck and contact police.

The Gunnison County and Chaffee County Sherriff’s Offices and Colorado State Patrol responded to the scene, where Williams was subsequently arrested by a tactical team.

According to information from the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office, on March 3 the Gunnison County District Attorney’s office officially filed charges against Williams. Charges include second-degree felony kidnapping, second-degree felony assault, two counts of felony menacing, a misdemeanor prohibitive use of a weapon and a misdemeanor unlawful use of a controlled substance. Her bond is set at $50,000.

The case, which is under investigation by the Gunnison County Sherriff’s Office and the FBI, reflects just one incident in a series of unfortunate events occurring on Monarch Pass as of late. An officer-involved shooting and several fatal accidents also took place over the past month.