ZANESVILLE – A Zanesville man received more than 20 years in prison on two counts after a misplaced hoodie escalated into an argument and subsequent strangulation of one woman.
Ian Michael Hayes, 32, was given 21 years in prison when he went before Judge Gerald Anderson II May 28. He received the maximum sentences for kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and an attached violent offender specification.
He had been found guilty of kidnapping and strangulation, a fifth-degree felony, after a March 2025 jury trial. He also received one year in prison for strangulation, which will run concurrently with kidnapping.
Hayes had also been charged with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and strangulation, a third-degree felony, and was found not guilty on those charges.
In November 2024, Hayes, who was reportedly homeless at the time of the incident, was released from jail and went to the female victim’s house, seeking refuge.
Zanesville police received a call from the victim who stated Hayes wouldn’t leave her home and he had “grabbed her by the neck, slapped her, pushed her down, and strangled her,” according to an announcement from the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office.
Hayes had reportedly misplaced a hoodie and blamed the victim’s children. As she worked to shift the blame away, Hayes sequestered the two in a bedroom, which escalated into an argument. Then, he reportedly struck her, threw her to the ground and strangled her.
“The victim reported that she could not breathe as she was being strangled. She stated she thought Hayes was going to kill her. The victim reported that as she was on the verge of passing out, her two children were standing outside the door,” the prosecutor’s office noted.
Hayes stopped and reportedly hit the victim across the ear and demanded that the hoodie be found. Shortly after, the victim was able to flee with her children and call 911. Many parts of the incident were recorded in that call.
Hayes received the violent offender specification from a burglary conviction, second-degree felony, in 2019. His newest sentence could extend as long at 26.5 years, depending on his behavior. He’ll be required to register as a violent offender annually for 10 years after prison.
Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at sdigity@gannett.com or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: It started with a misplaced hoodie. Now, Zanesville man will spend 20-plus years in prison
Reporting by Staff Reports / Zanesville Times Recorder
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