Jeremy Rowe age 33 and Randall Rowe age 35 both of Hamlet, Indiana are presently being held in the Starke County Jail on $500,000 bond each, set by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall on charges filed by Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff in the home invasion which occurred last Friday.
Both of the Rowes are charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, criminal confinement, intimidation, burglary, theft, possession of stolen property, possession of a fire arm by a felon, pointing a loaded weapon, possession of body armor and possession of marijuana. In addition to the above charges Randall Rowe is also charged with being a habitual offender.
The charges were filed in conjunction with a home invasion in which the victim was allegedly pistol whipped in his home and ordered at gunpoint to open gun safes with the threat that they would kill him and his family if he did not comply. Other various items were also taken from the home. At that point Randall Rowe told the victim that he needed eight hundred dollars to bond his girlfriend Stephanie Berg out of the Starke Co. Jail and forced him at gunpoint to drive to 1st Source Bank in Knox and withdraw eight hundred dollars. Stephanie Berg is being held in the jail on charges of reckless driving, false informing, child support and various other charges. They then returned to the victims home and were instructed to not call the cops or his family would die. Randall Rowe also stated that he was wanting to shoot a cop. At that point Randall Rowe and Jeremy Rowe left the home and a police chase ensued with the Rowe vehicle crashing and the suspects being arrested. One suspect suffered dog bites and possible hypothermia from the LaPorte K-9 unit when Randall Rowe resisted arrest and the K-9 unit was deployed. He was treated at IU Health Starke Hospital prior to his arrest.
The victim was treated at IU Health Starke Hospital for injuries received in the beating and required fourteen staples to close head lacerations and was also treated for a broken finger.
Police reports indicate that the victim and and the assailants were acquainted and possibly some money was owed to the assailants for drugs purchased by the victim from the assailants. The police investigation is ongoing at this time.
