LaPorte Man Faces Theft and Drug Charges Following Shoplifting Incident

Zacheria Faiyaz
Zacheria Faiyaz

A LaPorte man faces felony theft and drug charges after he reportedly stole an item from an auto parts store there last night. Employees at Advance Auto Parts on State Road 2 called the police around 8:20 last night to report the theft of a cell phone mount. They gave officers a description of the suspect and the vehicle he got into when he left the store. Officers pulled it over a short time later and found a man, later identified as Zacheria Faiyaz, 20, who matched the description of the thief. Faiyaz denied any knowledge of the incident, according to police. He consented to a search, and police reportedly found various drug paraphernalia items on his person. The driver of the vehicle gave officers permission to search it. They found the phone mount, still in its store packaging, behind where Faiyaz had been sitting. Faiyaz faces felony charges of theft and possession of syringes, along with misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. Officers reportedly found a baggie of the latter during a search at the LaPorte County Jail.

LaPorte Police Searching for Armed Robbery Suspects

police investigation 2LaPorte Police are searching for two masked suspects who robbed a restaurant at gunpoint Friday night. Officers responded to the Little Caesar’s on Monroe Street at 11:17 p.m. Victims told police they were cleaning up for the night when two masked suspects wearing all black clothing came inside. They displayed a handgun, demanded money, forced the victims into a restroom and fled. One of the suspects was described as skinny and the other as heavy-set.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact LaPorte Police Detective Brian Phillips at 219-362-9446, Ext. 205, or at www.lpcitypd.com to submit a crime tip. You can remain anonymous while providing important information to help make your community safer. Please be as specific as you can about the activity you are reporting.

 

Wedding Reception Guests Face Possible Child Neglect Charges

 

 
 

A couple police say left three children under the age of five alone in a LaPorte hotel room Saturday night to attend a wedding reception faces child neglect charges. Police there responded to the Best Western early Sunday morning and found that three children, ages 2, 3 and five, had been left in a third floor room alone. A hotel guest told officers she heard a child crying for more than half an hour and screaming for its mother. She alerted hotel staff when it seemed nobody was in the room to comfort the child. The hotel manager was watching the crying child when police arrived, according to the incident report. Police officers found the parents at a wedding event downstairs. They told the officers the children were all asleep when they left and said they had only planned to be gone a short time to visit with friends. The investigation has been turned over to child protective services.

 

Accused heroin dealer, probation violator jailed in LaPorte County

Tony Bankson
Tony Bankson
Rita Parker
Rita Parker

A LaPorte woman faces between 20 and 50 years in prison for dealing in heroin and is jailed on a $100,000 bond. Officers from the LaPorte Metro Operations Unit and LaPorte Police Department served a warrant on Rita M. Parker, 29, at the Country Acres Apartment complex. They also arrested Tony B. Bankson, 34, of LaPorte, at the same residence. He was wanted for a probation violation and is currently jailed without bond. Both Parker and Bankson are housed in the LaPorte County Jail.

LaPorte 1st Source Bank Branch Robbed

bank robberyLaPorte police are investigating a bank robbery that occurred Thursday at a 1st Source Bank branch.

The suspect entered the bank on Boyd Blvd, approached a teller’s window and requested a deposit slip. He then reportedly passed the slip back to her and on that slip he wrote instructions to hand over money. The teller did so and the suspect left the establishment with an undisclosed amount of money.

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Police Arrest Man in Alleged Stabbing Incident

 A LaPorte man was arrested Friday in an alleged stabbing incident.

Michael Bullington, 31 of LaPorte, is suspected of stabbing a man after an altercation. The victim told police that when he arrived home Thursday evening, Bullington was coming out of the home with a bag. Bullington ran from the scene and the victim chased after him. Bullington slipped on the sidewalk and a physical altercation took place in which Bullington allegedly stabbed the man. Stab wounds were inflicted to the man’s face and chest. He was later transported to IU Health LaPorte Hospital where he was treated and released.

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Police arrest suspect in scrap metal theft

If you’re trying to raise money to pay your bond, you may not want to break the law to do it. A Michigan City man learned that the hard way early just after midnight Thursday when LaPorte Police spotted his truck leaving New York Blower and pulled him over nearby. Officials say the truck bed was half full of metal scrap. The driver, 33-year-old Jonathan Granacki of Michigan City,  reportedly told the police he was sorry and said he was trying to raise bond money. He offered to return the scrap and never come back to LaPorte again. Granacki was free on bond from a Feb. 16 arrest for theft. He faces a felony charge in connection with this incident.

LaPorte Police searching for burglary suspect

Valentine’s Day was no cause for celebration for a LaPorte woman. She returned to her home in the 1100 block of 2nd Street Thursday to find it had been burglarized. Police say someone pried the back door open and took a television set, laptop computer and a wallet. The break-in occurred sometime between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call the LaPorte Police Department at 219-362-9446 or visit www.lpcitypd.com to submit a crime tip.

 

LaPorte Police Department offers free medication disposal

LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff’s Office
Area residents with unwanted or expired pills can drop them off for safe disposal in LaPorte County. Safely disposing of pills keeps them out of landfills and local water supplies and also keeps youth from getting their hands on potentially harmful medications. Surveys find teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit street drug except marijuana. Youngsters frequently get pills from friends and family members.

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Juvenile Tries to Steal Beer; Detained in LaPorte

 Loss prevention officials at Al’s in LaPorte didn’t have a hard time noticing a shoplifter, as a juvenile tried to hide a 30-pack case of beer under his shirt and leave the store. Police detained the juvenile shoplifter in LaPorte on Saturday, after responding to the store at approximately 10:40 p.m.

According to the report, loss prevention personnel told police that they witnessed the 17-year-old male suspect place a 30-pack case of beer into a shopping cart before wheeling the cart to the store’s restroom. There, they say, he placed the beer under his shirt or jacket, but apparently hiding a case of beer isn’t as inconspicuous as he thought.

As the suspect passed the point of checkout, he was detained, taken into custody for theft and transported to the juvenile services center.

LaPorte Police investigating break-in

 

The LaPorte County Police Department is seeking the public’s help in solving a break-in. Someone broke into Stan’s Service Center at 212 Lincolnway sometime Thursday night. An entry door, door handle and lock lever were damaged, according to police. Officers say the west entry door appeared to have been kicked in. A handle to a north overhead door was also damaged from prying force. Police say nothing was determined missing at the time of the report. Anyone with information regarding this crime or any other criminal or suspicious activity is urged to contact the La Porte Police Department at 219-362-9446, or at www.lpcitypd.com to submit a crime tip. You can remain anonymous while providing important information to help make your community safer. Please be as specific as you can about the activity you are reporting.

LaPorte Police Arrest Three on Drug-Related Charges

Sebraina Hutson
Adam Tener
Karey Swerdersky

Three people have been charged in a methamphetamine lab operation investigation in LaPorte.

LaPorte Police Department officers and investigators from the Indiana Department of Child Services were called to a mobile home park in reference to a child welfare call. When police arrived at the home, they smelled strong chemical odors which led them to believe a meth lab was in the residence.

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Five LaPorte Men Arrested on Federal Drug Charges

Richard Ruiz, Oscar Arzate, Leobardo Campos, Juan Gallardo, Zacharias Cisneros

Five LaPorte men were taken into custody Tuesday night on federal drug charges.

Richard “Ricky” Ruiz and Zacharias Cisneros were arrested on charges of Distribution of Cocaine and Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess Cocaine; Oscar Arzate and Juan Gallardo were arrested on charges of Distribution of Cocaine, and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess Cocaine; and Leobardo Campos was arrested on charges of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess Cocaine.

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LaPorte Official Denies Fleeing Police, Refuses Resignation

An official for the city of LaPorte received three traffic tickets early Thursday morning but denies allegations that he tried to flee from police.

Tim Stabosz, a 44-year-old former LaPorte City Council member and current secretary of the LaPorte Historic Preservation Commission, has been asked to resign from his position by Mayor Blair Milo, but said he has no plans to do so and is looking to rally support for what he calls a story that has gotten out of hand.

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LaPorte PD Arrested 9, Cited 25 During Nationwide Enforcement Campaign

LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

The LaPorte City Police Department recently participated in the nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

Nine impaired-driving arrests were made during the enforcement period, 25 citations were issued and 83 warnings were given. The campaign was in force from Aug. 17 through Sept. 3.

The LaPorte City Police Department joined forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and nearly 10,000 law enforcement agencies across the country in the campaign.