LaPorte Woman Arrested after Allegedly Assaulting Police Officer

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A LaPorte woman was arrested on Friday after officials from the Indiana Department of Child Services attempted to remove a two-month old child from her residence.

Caseworkers told the child’s mother, Rosemary Zeigafuse, 37, that they arrived at the home on Worden Street to take the child as the result of a court order and Zeigafuse allegedly threatened to kill them. An officer from the LaPorte Police Department attempted to place her into custody and she hit the officer in the face, according to the news release. She reportedly continued to resist the officer until she was successfully taken into custody.

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LaPorte City Police Department Reports OPO Results

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The LaPorte Police Department conducted 40 hours of patrols during last week’s Operation Pull Over event. Officers wrote 52 citations and 64 warnings which included 39 citations for seat belt violations and one citation for a child restraint violation.

Operation Pull Over is a federally funded traffic safety program administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

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LaPorte Officials Evacuate City Block after Suspicious Package Found

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A LaPorte city block was evacuated this morning after police found what appeared to be three pipe bombs inside of a box.

LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo informed residents on her Facebook page that the LaPorte Police Department responded to a call of a suspicious package in the 700 block of Philadelphia Street. Once officers determined what was inside the box, the Porter County Bomb Squad and the ATF were notified. Those officers successfully removed the package.

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LaPorte Police Department Renews Partnership with ICJI

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The LaPorte City Police Department will be continuing in its partnership with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) with a $21,150 grant for Operation Pull Over which expires in September of 2015.

Operation Pull Over is an initiative by officers to reduce traffic crashes and related injuries and fatalities with planned enforcement. The officers work toward monitoring dangerous driving behavior such as speeding, sign/signal violations, following too closely, reckless driving, texting while driving, and other unsafe driving behavior to reduce crashes. Police also conduct seat belt and child restraint enforcement to increase restraint use.

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LaPorte City Police Department Investigates Reports of Gunfire

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Officers from the LaPorte City Police Department are investigating reports of gunfire in the 200 block of E. Jefferson Avenue.

Residents reported hearing about five gunshots in the area on Saturday. One witness told police that a muzzle flash was seen coming from the area. Others reported seeing someone walking from the scene and a vehicle leaving the area.

Another witness told police that they saw two subjects yelling and running from the area shortly after hearing the gunfire.

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LaPorte Police Investigate Alleged Armed Robbery

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A LaPorte man told police that he was held at gunpoint and robbed on J. Street in LaPorte on Monday night.

The victim, 20, told LaPorte City Police Department officers that he was walking near the area where the Tastee Cream is located when a female suspect exited a silver car and allegedly approached him with a handgun, according to the news release. The victim was then reportedly shoved against the back wall of the business and money was removed from his pants pocket.

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Two Arrested after Vehicle Stops on Tracks

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A trip for two men didn’t go as planned after the car they were in became disabled on train track near Tipton Street crossing in LaPorte.

In the overnight hours on Saturday, LaPorte police were called to the scene where they found a pickup stuck on tracks west of the location, near Detroit Street. The staff in the dispatch center was alerted to contact the railroad and stop all train traffic until the vehicle could be removed.

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Man Arrested in Homicide Investigation

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

LaPorte police are investigating a homicide that occurred after 2 a.m. CT Saturday.

Officers were called to the 1000 Block of Lincolnway and found a man who was bleeding profusely. The victim was immediately transported to IU Health LaPorte Hospital and later died.

A preliminary investigation and evidence collected at the scene led to the arrest of Justin M. Lower. Lower, 26, has been preliminarily charged with murder and is being held in the LaPorte County Jail.

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Stolen Water Service Lands Man in Jail

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A LaPorte man was arrested on Sunday after reportedly stealing water service from the City of LaPorte.

LaPorte police were called to a 4-unit apartment at 101 Bond Street after a complaint was filed about theft of water services.

Police learned that the water service had been turned off to the apartment. Several notices had been given to the tenant that it was unlawful to turn on the water unless it was done by an employee with the water department.

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Suspect Detained in Battery Incident in Knox Park

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

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.

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LaPorte Man Arrested on Child Pornography, Child Exploitation Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Ronald E. Wheaton
Ronald E. Wheaton

A LaPorte man was arrested Monday afternoon after several police agencies served a state search warrant at his home.

Detectives with the Indiana State Police (ISP), ISP Crimes Against Children Detectives, North Mobile Forensic Vehicle, and the ISP K9 assisted the LaPorte City Police Department in serving the search warrant at 205 Woodward Street in LaPorte. It was there where officers found possible evidence that 34-year-old Ronald E. Wheaton was allegedly in the possession of child pornography.

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Arrest Made in LaPorte Shooting

Posted on Author WKVI
Shirron Taylor
Shirron Taylor

A suspect has been arrested in a shooting incident at Ellian’s Pub on Michigan Avenue in LaPorte yesterday morning.

An intense investigation by the LaPorte City Police Department, LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan City Police Department and the U.S. Marshal Service found evidence that led to the arrest of Shirron Taylor, 32.

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Police Investigate Shooting in LaPorte

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Officers from the LaPorte City Police Department are looking for more information in a shooting early this morning at Ellian’s Pub/Avenue Bar in the 600 block of Michigan Avenue.

Witnesses told police that an African American man confronted another African American man which escalated into gunfire. The victim was shot once and the suspect fled the establishment in an unknown vehicle.

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Man Arrested after Alleged Stabbing Incident

Posted on Author WKVI
Joshua Tawney
Joshua Tawney

A LaPorte man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly stabbed someone with a knife when a fight broke outside a bar.

The victim stated he was inside the establishment when he heard someone outside screaming. He went to see what the commotion was about and saw Joshua L. Tawney, 22, of LaPorte, yelling at patrons telling them that the parking lot was his. The bouncers attempted to get Tawney to leave and he reportedly threw a barbecue grill causing a fire in the adjacent parking lot.

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One Arrested in Apparent Homicide

Posted on Author WKVI
Daniel G. Shoffner
Daniel G. Shoffner

One person is in custody in an apparent homicide in LaPorte.

Daniel Shoffner was arrested on a  preliminary charge of murder, pending further investigation. Formal charges are pending and could be filed in two days.

The incident occurred at a residence in the 100 block of McClung Road Sunday evening. Officers from the LaPorte City Police Department found the body of a woman at that residence.

LaPorte Officer Resigns, Investigation Launched into Missing F.O.P. Funds

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A LaPorte City Police officer resigned his position with the police department amid an investigation into stolen funds with the Fraternal Order of Police.

According to LaPorte Police Chief Adam Klimczak, the F.O.P. leadership found that officer Mark Bishop reportedly had been using F.O.P. funds for personal reasons. Several thousands of dollars are not accounted for.

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Arson Incident Under Investigation in LaPorte

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

LaPorte Police are looking for a suspect or suspects responsible for a fire at 505 Maple Ave on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the investigation, the resident told police that a grill and two tires caught fire in the back yard and the tires were reportedly purposely moved to that location and a gasoline container was found nearby. The container had been on the front porch and moved to the area where the fire originated. It is suspected that gasoline was used as an accelerant.

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