A press release from the La Porte County Coroner’s Office shares that officials responded to a residence located in the area of County Road 125 East in LaPorte County, following the discovery of a deceased male in the basement of the residence.
The decedent has been identified as 22-year-old Jonathan J. Ybarra, who was last known to reside in Warsaw, Indiana. Ybarra sustained a single gunshot wound to the head.
An autopsy is pending. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
According to the report, the incident summary is as follows:
On Friday, September 18, 2026, at approximately 3:15 p.m., an Indiana State Police trooper was flagged down by a concerned citizen who reported two suspicious individuals walking along County Road 125 E. in rural LaPorte County. The individuals had reportedly approached a family member and were described as acting suspiciously.
The trooper located the two individuals, a male and a female, and began speaking with them. During the interaction, the trooper asked the male for identification.
While the trooper was seated inside his patrol vehicle and the two individuals remained outside, the male removed a firearm from his waistband. The trooper immediately accelerated away from the area. The male suspect then fired at the patrol vehicle, striking it twice. The trooper was not injured.
The trooper subsequently observed both individuals flee into a wooded area at a nearby residence.
Additional law-enforcement units responded to the scene.
The female suspect later emerged from the wooded area and surrendered to authorities. The male suspect remained unaccounted for, prompting a search of the surrounding area.
At approximately 7:40 p.m., the Indiana State Police SWAT team entered the residence near the wooded area.
During a search of the residence, officers located the male suspect in the basement.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death remains on going. The LaPorte County Coroner’s Office will provide additional information regarding the cause and manner of death following the completion of the autopsy and investigation.
