Man accused of abducting woman from Crestview Hills Town Center indicted on unrelated charges

COVINGTON, Ky. - A man accused of kidnapping a woman from the Crestview Hills Town Center last year was indicted Monday for unrelated bank robbery and persistent felony offender charges. 

Joseph Weir, 39, was arrested on Feb. 6 for a bank robbery on Dec. 5 robbery at the Huntington Bank at 540 Madison Avenue in Covington.

Covington Police say Weir abducted 74-year-old Ann Ernst from the Crestview Hills Town Center on May 31, 2011. They say he forced her into her car with a gun and drove her across the Ohio River to Hamilton County where he tied her to a tree and gagged her.

"Obviously, he's facing a significant prison sentence, he hasn't been arraigned yet on the kidnapping and robbery and persistent felony offender charges. There will be an additional bond set in that case, so it'll go higher than the 50,000 he's being held on now, I don't anticipate him getting out of the Kenton County Detention Center, " said Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders.

Weir will again appear in Kenton County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 27, at 9:00 a.m. for the kidnapping, robbery and persistent felony offender charges associated with the abduction.