DAVENPORT, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man is accused of holding a family hostage for three months.
The Ledger reports that 29-year-old Larry Gene Howard faces multiple assault, kidnapping, robbery and firearms charges.
The newspaper quotes the Polk County Sheriff's Office as saying Howard was arrested May 7, a day after a man called 911 and reported that he and his two nieces and two nephews had been held against their will. The man told investigators that a distant relative had come to visit him three months earlier and brought Howard with him. Howard reportedly returned two days later with his own four children and told the victim they would be staying. The victim said Howard threatened them with a shotgun. After Howard's arrest, investigators reported finding a shotgun at the home.
The newspaper says Howard has denied the charges.
