A woman who is reportedly connected with a Monday night battery incident in Wythogan Park in Knox was in Starke Circuit Court for her initial hearing Friday morning.
Samantha Smith, 19, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assisting a criminal, a Level 6 felony. Smith was reportedly in a car that left the scene of a battery incident in Wythogan Park. Timothy Lemon was appointed as her attorney.
Another arrest has been made in the Monday night battery incident at Wythogan Park in Knox.
Samantha Smith, 19, was arrested Tuesday night for her alleged involvement in the incident. She was reportedly in a car during the altercation.
The battery occurred Monday night inside Wythogan Park. A juvenile boy was struck in the head by another juvenile. The force resulted in the victim falling to the ground where his head hit the cement walkway. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and transported the boy to IU Health Starke Hospital. The victim was then airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital.
The Knox City Police Department is investigating the battery of a 14-year-old boy in Wythogan park on Monday night.
According to witness statements given to a Knox officer, a male juvenile had approached the victim in the park and struck him on the head. The victim fell and struck his head on the concrete walkway. The suspect, later identified as a Knox resident, was in a gold-colored passenger car with four other people that left the scene.
The Knox City Council learned this week of ongoing vandalism at Wythogan Park.
Park Superintendent George Byer has informed authorities that there is some form of vandalism at the park on a constant basis. Recently a picnic table was thrown into the river, a toilet was blown up by a firecracker, two fountains were destroyed and the cannon in the park has also suffered damage from vandals.
Three juveniles were taken into police custody at 4:30 a.m. CT Tuesday after an alleged attempted burglary was reported in the Parkview area in Knox.
The caller witnessed a boy and two girls attempting to break into a vacant residence on North Clark Street, according to a release from the Knox City Police Department.
A Plymouth man was arrested in the overnight hours on Tuesday on a preliminary charge of child molestation as a Class C felony.
Timmy Sexton, 42, was taken into custody and he is being held in the Starke County Jail.
The charge stems from an investigation by the Indiana Department of Child Services on June 4 and a subsequent investigation by the Knox City Police Department. No other details are being released at this time as the incident remains under investigation.
A Knox man was arrested on a warrant Wednesday, May 21 after an investigation into an alleged sexual assault incident.
On April 24, officers from the Knox City Police Department were notified of the alleged incident by officials with the Indiana Department of Child Services. It was alleged that the incident involved a female juvenile and an adult family member.
Officers located and arrested 85-year-old Donald L. Bottorff Wednesday morning. He was booked into the Starke County Jail on preliminary charges of Child Molesting and Vicarious Sexual Gratification, both Class C Felonies.
The Knox Board of Public Works members approved a conditional offer of employment to a candidate for a position on the Knox City Police Department.
The board members interviewed three candidates: Jacob Berger from Plymouth, Eric Vanderhoff from Rochester and Eric Christianson from Wisconsin. After careful selection, the board unanimously chose Eric Vanderhoff for the conditional offer of employment.
Ryan J. Reyes, 19, of Grovertown was arrested Wednesday after an investigation into a sexual assault incident in Wythogan Park on May 4.
A report was made to Knox police that a minor was reportedly sexually assaulted in the park by Reyes. Knox City Police Department detectives and the Indiana Department of Child Services interviewed witnesses and all parties involved and arrested Reyes on preliminary charges of Rape and Child Molesting, both Class B felonies.
He is being held in the Starke County Jail. The case remains under investigation.
It was recently reported that one of the biggest issues in Starke County is prescription drug abuse. A program sponsored by Moving Starke County Forward will be held in the next couple of months that will give information to community members on how to combat this pressing issue.
If you have unwanted, unused or expired prescription medication, you may take that medication to drop off locations at the Knox City Police Department and at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.
Officers will be targeting aggressive and impaired drivers. Additional officers will be out in saturation patrols attempting to take impaired drivers off the streets.
If you observe a driver that could be under the influence, contact your local law enforcement agency. Be prepared to give a thorough description of the vehicle, its location and the type of offense that occurred.
When officers searched the residence, they found that Angela Clemons allegedly took her young children’s ADHD medication instead of giving it to her children who need the prescription.
Clemons, 31, of Knox was taken to the Starke County Jail and booked on two preliminary counts of Neglect of a Dependent.
A verdict has been reached in the trial of Alfred Higdon.
Higdon’s trial was held Wednesday in Starke Circuit Court and took only one day to complete.
Higdon was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Marijuana from an incident stemming from April of last year. Continue reading
Knox City police officers were called to the store after a witness allegedly saw 20-year-old Cody Byrn enter a Calumet Breweries, Inc. truck. Continue reading
Officers had investigated the possibility of heroin and methamphetamine being dealt out of a Knox residence. On Jan. 29, officers arrived at the residence and took 28-year-old Seth Dickson and 22-year-old Olivia Chasse into custody.
Both have a preliminary charge of Possession of a Narcotic Drug, a Class D felony.
This case has been forwarded to the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Additional formal charges may be filed.
A search warrant executed by police Wednesday resulted in the arrest of a Knox man.
Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department went to a home in the 9700 East block of County Road 50 South in Knox where they reportedly found two one-pot methamphetamine labs, an HCL generator, precursors, drug paraphernalia, other items used in the manufacture of meth, and the finished product.
Glenn Joseph was arrested on preliminary charges of Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors, Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, and Possession of Paraphernalia. He has an additional charge of Possession of Marijuana under 30 grams.
Knox City Police Department officers assisted the Starke County Sheriff’s Department in this case as well as the Indiana State Police Clandestine Team.
Knox officers were able to use footprints to track and capture the juvenile suspects who reportedly admitted to stealing items from several vehicles all around the Knox area. A search warrant was executed at a 309 Ruthie Drive residence and stolen property was recovered.
