On the evening of April 10, 2012, officers with the Indiana State Police and the South Bend Police Department Special Operation Section worked in concert to remove more than 10 pounds of powder heroin from the streets. The multi-jurisdictional investigation that led officers to the estimated $400,000 in heroin stemmed from an investigation that started in Indianapolis during the summer of 2011.
A wanted fugitive was arrested in LaPorte after police received word of his whereabouts and a potential meth lab at the location.
Detectives went to the residence and arrested 19-year-old Blake Brown of La Porte for an outstanding theft warrant. Ryan Goethals, 29, was also at the residence and police took him into custody as he had an active arrest warrant for purchasing ephedrine. They were both taken to the La Porte County Jail.
The Drug Enforcement Agency is sponsoring the fourth nationwide “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative on Saturday, April 28th. The Indiana State Police is partnering with the DEA in this event and expired, unused, and unwanted prescriptions can be disposed of at any Indiana State Police post on the 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time.
Earlier in the week, words of praise were heard regarding the local EMS efforts in the successful transport of a five year old girl who had been struck by a television that fell from a dresser.
Paul Mathewson has shared another letter from the wife of a DeKalb, Illinois truck driver who was rescued after suffering a massive brain stem stroke while driving his semi.
“Because of your coordinated efforts, you were able to locate my husband and transport him to St. Joseph Medical Center in Plymouth for help. After being stabilized in the ER at St. Joseph’s, we were able to transport Steve via ambulance to our home hospital in Illinois. Following treatment he was released, and is currently in home rehab. Although we may never know who you are or see you in person please know that your efforts that morning went above and beyond in our minds and hearts. It is my prayer that God continue to bless each one of you and protect you daily as you continue to serve, and save the lives of others,” wrote Shari Dixon.
Her husband is currently making improvements daily and is able to walk with only a cane, recovered his ability to speak, see, and swallow and has recovered some use of his left arm.
Also assisting in finding her husband who was traveling on U.S. 30 near Grovertown on the morning of Jan. 7, was the Indiana State Police.
Driving a semi can be a risky profession when traveling alone, and struck by a life threatening ailment.
The transport was performed before the local EMS went to Advanced Life Service.
The woman who was at the center of a controversy that ultimately involved the Starke County Tourism Office and Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County was arrested yesterday on a State Police warrant and charged with Theft. Jennie Carter was booked into the Starke County Jail and eventually bonded out on a $5,000 cash bond.
Carter was accused of mishandling $7,140 in 2011. She eventually admitted to the misappropriation of the funds and agreed to pay it back by March 15th of this year.
Two were arrested on drug charges Monday afternoon after police responded to a suspicious vehicle call.
Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department were called to the area of 200 South, east of 800 East. This area is known to police as a drug activity area. Police waited for the suspect vehicle to exit a wooded area and they were able to conduct a traffic stop on 200 South just west of State Road 23.
The Indiana State Police is making it easier for retailers to dispose of synthetic drugs.
Retailers and private citizens can dispose of K2, Spice or bath salts at any Indiana State Police post. Any quantity can be disposed until Sunday, March 25th. You will not be arrested if you take the illegal substance in your possession to your nearest police post for proper disposal. The closest headquarters in our listening area are Bremen, Lowell and Lafayette.
Police troopers around the state conducted saturation patrols in conjunction with Operation Pull Over Blitz #70 and the St. Patrick’s Day Holiday. The patrols concentrated on taking impaired and dangerous drivers off the roadways.
The Indiana State Police received complaints today regarding a fraud alert from Demotte State Bank. According to a press release, the bank’s name is being used in a “phishing scam” to gain information from unsuspecting victims.
Northwest Indiana residents, especially those with Verizon telephone numbers, are receiving an automated message using a woman’s voice that their debit or credit card has been compromised. She then asks you to verify your account number and other information by having you go through a series of automated prompting questions. The numbers that will show up on your phone or caller ID are from out of state.
This is a phishing exploit to trick people into revealing personal and confidential information. Do not respond to any requests or give them any information. The scammers will likely use this information to withdraw money from your account or obtain credit in your name.
Demotte State Bank DOES NOT contact their customers in this matter. If you have given account or other personal information please contact Demotte State Bank and your local law enforcement immediately.
The Indiana State Police have informed Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff that claims of impropriety have been brought against Sheriff Oscar Cowen by former deputy, Don Ferguson.
Because he works closely with the Starke County Police, Prosecutor Bourff petitioned for a special prosecutor to handle the claims. Also issuing an Order of Recusal and Assignment of Special Judge was Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall. The Special Judge assigned to the case is the Honorable Jeffrey Thode of Porter Superior Court #6 located in Portage, Indiana. This Judge will conduct all future proceedings including a ruling on the pending Petition for a Special Prosecutor.
Detectives with the Indiana State Police continue to investigate the police involved shooting that occurred in Marshall County last Thursday night which claimed the life of Mark Albright, 62, of Plymouth. The investigation is expected to be completed and forwarded to the Marshall County Prosecutor’s office in the next two weeks.
A Plymouth man is dead after a police pursuit in Marshall County.
Last night around 8:30 p.m. ET, an officer with the Argos Police Department attempted a traffic stop in the area of Michigan Road, north of Argos, and the driver did not stop. The officer was attempting to pull over the truck after the driver committed a traffic infraction. The officer pursued the truck, driven by Mark Albright, 62, of Plymouth.
A Grovertown man and his passenger were arrested Thursday morning after the Starke County Sheriff’s Department attempted to serve an arrest warrant at his home. Continue reading
A Nappanee man was involved in an accident early this morning on Beech Road in Marshall County.
Indiana State Police Sergeant Trent Smith told us that at 6:00 a.m. ET yesterday, passersby found tracks alongside the road that led into a drainage ditch. They saw that a pick-up truck had overturned into the 20 foot deep ditch that was filled with six inches of water. Indiana State Police officers arrived on scene and found one occupant, 75-year-old Louis Cady, dead inside the vehicle.
A preliminary autopsy conducted in Mishawaka by Certified Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Prahlow, showed that Louis Cady, 75, of Nappanee, died from drowning. Marshall County Coroner, Bill Cleavenger, who released the press release, stated that he believes Cady was traveling on an unfamiliar stretch of road, drifted left and rolled down an embankment into the ditch sometime late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. The accident remains under investigation by the Coroner, Indiana State Police and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department was called to a house fire Tuesday morning at about 10:13 a.m.
Firefighters, Starke County EMS and the North Judson Police Department responded to 3942 W. 3rd Street. The fire was contained to the upper level of the home and the home sustained major smoke damage. A two-year-old child was taken from the residence to IU Health Starke Hospital and hospitalized.
The Indiana State Police is urging you to ask for police identification if you are pulled over and approached by a person saying they are a police officer and they exit an unmarked police vehicle.
On Saturday, a female driver was followed by an unmarked black police-type vehicle and the driver used emergency lights to pull her over. The vehicle had red and blue lights mounted in the front window and the vehicle was occupied by two men. The driver said the pair flashed their so-called badges and said they were State Police. They said her vehicle came up suspicious and they wanted to search her vehicle. She exited her vehicle and the pair proceeded to steal money and other items from her. She attempted to call police and they took her cell phone from her.
Two lives were lost in separate vehicular accidents on the Indiana Toll Road Saturday between midnight and 5 a.m.
According to Indiana State Police, the first accident occurred at 12:23 a.m., when an empty horse trailer broke loose from a Chevrolet Suburban heading west and left the roadway, crossing the median and into oncoming traffic. 50-year old Julio Zatina of Bridgeview, Ill., was driving a double-trailer semi in the eastbound lane when the trailer crossed the roadway. Zatina was not able to avoid the trailer and hit it, breaking a piece of the trailer off that flew through the semi’s windshield and struck him. He immediately lost control of the semi, which traveled across the median into the oncoming lane and through to the ditch on the other side.
Indiana State Police Troopers Gary Runde and Marcus Gholson thought they were responding to a single vehicle roll-over crash on I-80, this morning, due to weather conditions. What they found was a crash that was a result of a gunshot wound.
Preliminary investigation revealed that at approximately 3:43 am, this morning, Saturday, January 28th, a 1985 Buick LaSabre was south on Cline Avenue near Michigan/5th Avenue when the thirty-one year old, male black, driver from East Chicago and his twenty-four year old, female passenger noticed a slow moving red or maroon Dodge Durango in the left lane. The passenger stated that they noticed both the front and passenger windows were down on the passenger side as they neared and thought that was unusual. She related that the Durango slowed down to where it was barely moving when the driver decided to pass it. They (LaSabre) exited off onto I-80 eastbound and were in the right lane when she noticed the Durango pull alongside them on the driver’s side. She stated she heard one gunshot and they lost control.
The LaSabre driver veered to the right, hit the concrete barrier wall off the outer shoulder, rolled the Buick onto its top, and hit the wall again. Both the driver and passenger were able to exit the vehicle and take refuge inside another vehicle that had stopped to see if they were alright (this person did not witness the shooting or crash).
The driver was taken to NorthLake Methodist Hospital in Gary where it was confirmed that he suffered a single gunshot wound to his left temple. He is unconscious at this time and is being transferred to another hospital. The passenger was also taken to NorthLake where she was treated and released. Name is being withheld as family has NOT been notified.
This is an on-going investigation and anyone with any information is asked to please call investigating Detective Jennifer Richmond at 219-696-6242 Lowell Post.
Two Grovertown residents were arrested Wednesday after a search warrant was executed at their residence.
Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State Police conducted a drug investigation at 10195 E. Francis Street in Grovertown. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall approved a search warrant for the property and officers from Starke County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and the Plymouth K9 unit executed the search warrant early Wednesday morning. Officers located several items commonly used the manufacture of methamphetamine, discarded methamphetamine labs, the finished product and other controlled substances.
The Knox man who reportedly stole a Kouts police car has surrendered to police.
William Blankenship III surrendered to two Indiana State Police troopers from the Lowell Post last night. Master Trooper Kevin Murphy assigned to the U.S. Marshall Task Force and Senior Trooper Jerry Michalak assigned to the FBI Task Force met Blankenship and his family at a residence in Knox where he surrendered. Cooperation from his family members made his surrender possible.
Blankenship was taken into custody and is incarcerated in the Porter County Jail.
