Hemet Police: Officer Prevents Murder

Two men arrested in Hemet were each jailed Monday on more than $1 million bail after police say they foiled a kidnapping and murder plot in that city this weekend.

The two men were arrested after two other men jumped out of a car and told Hemet police they had just been carjacked at gunpoint, kidnapped and threatened with death, police said in a news release.

"The victims were told to drive home where they were going to be killed," the release stated.  "Two loaded firearms were located in the vehicle, where the two suspects were sitting."

In a report released Sunday, Hemet police revealed that an officer was patrolling the 200 block of West Stetson Avenue when a motorist turned abruptly and nearly struck his cruiser, Hemet police Sgt. Jeff Davis said. The sudden development unfolded at 3:57 p.m. Friday in the 100 block of East Stetson Avenue.

The alleged victims bolted from the car's front seats and ran towards the officer, and claimed they had been kidnapped at gunpoint by two other men in the car.

While that was happening, the two men ran away.

One suspect was caught a short time later, while the second was caught by officers who warned him about their police dog, named Rosco, Davis said.

Adam Barnett, 33, and John Blackwood, 34, were booked for suspicion of kidnapping, carjacking, making terrorist threats and robbery. They both remained behind bars Monday, according to online jail records.

Davis said the motive for the alleged kidnapping isn't yet clear, though the four men were all acquaintances.  

-- City News Service contributed to this report.