HOUSTON – A couple claims they were held at gunpoint, faced the threat of torture and were kidnapped in late September after being accused of stealing a woman’s grandmother’s ring, documents show.
Records show that Tyler Chambers and his girlfriend Madeline McCreight were at a friend’s apartment visiting on Sept. 23, 2021, when Nicole D’Artois accused McCreight of stealing her grandmother’s ring.
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At some point McCreight came out of a bathroom and D’ Artois pistol-whipped her in the head with a Glock-type pistol, records show.
Documents allege D’Artois and Glen Randall Newton then held them at gunpoint for several hours. Documents show that either D’Artois or Newton made a phone call and later an unidentified man wearing a ski mask and studded gloves arrived at the apartment. Records show that the man had a backpack full of “tools” and that he threatened to torture them with if they did not divulge where the ring was located. At one point, Chambers claims he was painfully struck in the face with one of the “tools.” Chambers said he told McCreight to make something up so they would not be injured further. Chambers said they told the defendants they sold the ring to a mutual friend.
The unidentified man left and they were forced at gunpoint to get into a vehicle and taken to the mutual friend’s house where they talked via Ring video with the friend, who denied purchasing a ring from them. Authorities were able to obtain a copy of this video, which documents say “clearly shows the complainants and defendants at the front door… and D’Artois can also be seen and heard on the video admitted that they ‘beat them up’ because they stole a ring.”
Documents allege Chambers and McCreight were driven to various locations around the Huffman/Harris County area before stopping at a residence of a man they knew and were coerced into taking drugs. Chambers said they were then driven back to D ‘Artois’ apartment, where they went to sleep. Chambers said when he and McCreight woke up, they made their escape to a nearby bank, and located a Good Samaritan who drove them to a fire station, where the Harris County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and an initial report made.
D’Artois, 27, of Huffman, is charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Newton, 40, of Humble, is also charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts aggravated robbery with deadly weapon.
D’Artois and Newton have not yet been arrested.