A Fayetteville

man was tied up and beaten at a Woodbyne Drive home last week in a home

invasion plot hatched by his girlfriend, police say.

Richard J.

Turner was beaten in the head with a handgun after two black males entered

the house Tuesday, according to police reports. Two days later, his girlfriend,

Vernell L. Johnson, was arrested after admitting to detectives that she

hired two men to "rough him up," said Lt. Beverly Trainor of

the Fayetteville Police Department.

"She did

confess to hiring people to do it," Trainor said.

Johnson, 50,

was arrested Thursday for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, kidnapping,

aggravated assault and false imprisonment.

Turner was

tied up by two black male assailants who entered the home late Tuesday

night, Trainor said. He was beaten in the head "numerous" times

with a pistol they took from him, according to arrest warrants filed against

Johnson.

The suspects

also used pepper spray on Turner, and that canister was recovered by detectives

although the handgun hasn't been found yet, Trainor said.

After the men

left the home, Turner was able to break free of the tape, Trainor said.

After doing so, he went to a neighbor's house to contact police, she said.

Johnson, who

left the residence after the two men entered, drove to the police station

to report the crime.

Turner was

taken to Fayette Community Hospital where he was treated for cuts to the

face and later released, Trainor said.

Johnson claims

Turner has physically abused her "occasionally" in the past,

although there are no records of police responding to such calls at their

residence in the past, Trainor confirmed.

Many of the

details are still unraveling about what took place during the invasion

as detectives sort out conflicting statements from witnesses, Trainor

added. Although the kidnapping charge was filed, it involves forcibly

moving Turner to another room in the home; none of the incident took place

outside the residence, Trainor said.

Johnson has

been released from the Fayette County Jail on $50,000 bond according to

jail records. She and Turner are not married although they were living

together, Trainor confirmed.

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