A Valparaiso man was arrested May 7 after he reportedly broke into the M.C. Smith Funeral Home in Knox.
The owner of the funeral home, Mark Smith, told police that Sonny St. John’s mother had died and was at the facility, but St. John wanted to change funeral homes. St. John learned that his mother’s trust was paying for the funeral and he reportedly told Smith that he found another home that could do the funeral for cheaper. Smith said St. John could not have the money back from the arrangements already made because it was illegal. St. John allegedly became belligerent and began saying that he would burn down the funeral home if he didn’t get what he wanted. He also threatened to break into the business and take his mother out of the facility. Smith told police that the threats really didn’t mean much– until he saw St. John leaving the facility when he was not there and the doors were locked.
Smith saw St. John coming out of the building from the east side where Smith and his family live. Police were called and St. John fled the area. Police found pry marks on the door and Smith believes that St. John was trying to get into his mother’s records. Nothing was reported stolen.
St. John was later arrested in Valparaiso after the Porter County Sheriff’s Department picked him up at his residence. He reportedly has a history of being out of control and he has threatened the life of his sister. He is now in the Starke County Jail under $100,000 bond and has been charged with Burglary and Residential Entry.
