LaPorte Man Arrested on Child Pornography, Child Exploitation Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Ronald E. Wheaton
Ronald E. Wheaton

A LaPorte man was arrested Monday afternoon after several police agencies served a state search warrant at his home.

Detectives with the Indiana State Police (ISP), ISP Crimes Against Children Detectives, North Mobile Forensic Vehicle, and the ISP K9 assisted the LaPorte City Police Department in serving the search warrant at 205 Woodward Street in LaPorte. It was there where officers found possible evidence that 34-year-old Ronald E. Wheaton was allegedly in the possession of child pornography.

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Arrest Made in LaPorte Shooting

Posted on Author WKVI
Shirron Taylor
Shirron Taylor

A suspect has been arrested in a shooting incident at Ellian’s Pub on Michigan Avenue in LaPorte yesterday morning.

An intense investigation by the LaPorte City Police Department, LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan City Police Department and the U.S. Marshal Service found evidence that led to the arrest of Shirron Taylor, 32.

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LaPorte Man Turns Himself in on Drug Charge

Posted on Author WKVI
Kyle Shumate
Kyle Shumate

A LaPorte man turned himself into the LaPorte County Jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of dealing in a schedule III controlled substance (suboxone) which is a Class B felony.

Kyle Shumate, 24, surrendered himself on Monday. He was released from jail after posting a $2,500 bond. Shumate will appear soon for an initial hearing in LaPorte County Circuit Court.

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LaPorte Woman Charged with Dealing Heroin

Posted on Author WKVI
Jillian Townsel
Jillian Townsel

A LaPorte woman will be facing an additional charge after information received in a recent drug investigation.

Jillian A. Townsel, 22, was being held in the LaPorte County Jail for revocation of a suspended sentence for theft. She was placed into custody on this charge on May 16. On Friday, May 30, she was charged while being held in the LaPorte County Jail on a preliminary count of Dealing a Schedule I Controlled Substance (heroin), a Class B felony.

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Wanted Sex Offender Surrenders to Staff at LaPorte County Jail

Posted on Author WKVI
James Adams
James Adams

A wanted sex offender has turned himself into the LaPorte County Jail.

James W. Adams was a non-reporting sex offender and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Thursday. Adams told police that he opted to surrender himself when he heard a news report that he was wanted for failing to comply with the terms of Indiana’s Sex and Violent Offender Registry.

He was booked into the LaPorte County Jail Friday morning on a charge of Failure to Register as a Class D felony. He is being held on a $7,500 bond.

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LaPorte County Corrections Inmate Arrested on Several Drug Charges

Posted on Author WKVI

Ronald Robinson
Ronald Robinson
A LaPorte County Community Corrections inmate was arrested Tuesday, March 11 after police reportedly found drugs in his vehicle during a traffic stop.

Ronald E. Robinson, 56, was stopped along U.S. 35 north of Johnson Road and when the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department K9 conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle, the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics.

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LaPorte Jail Inmate Charged with Arson

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

An inmate has been charged with arson after setting a mattress on fire in his jail cell at the LaPorte County Jail.

After an investigation was conducted, it was found that on July 4, Marzono Shelly reportedly started the fire in his cell in the south end of the jail. 40 inmates were moved from that part of the jail and Shelly was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation. He was later transferred to the Indiana Department of Corrections due to his destructive and dangerous behavior.

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LaPorte County Officials Investigating Jail Fire

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Officials in LaPorte County are still looking into the cause of a July 4th fire in a jail cell that sent one inmate to the hospital and forced the temporary evacuation of about 40 others. The fire started just before 1 p.m. in a cell occupied by Marzano R. Shelly, 35, of Michigan City. He’s jailed pending trial on charges of murder, robbery, possession of a firearm by a violent felon and battery by bodily waste. Shelly was alone in the cell, according to “The Times,” and is believed to have tried to burn his mattress. It smoked but did not fully ignite. Matches and lighters are banned from the jail, so it’s unclear how Shelly may have started the fire. The cell is located in an area of the jail reserved for inmates with disciplinary problems. The other nearby inmates were shifted to another part of the jail for a few hours.

 

LaPorte Man Arrested on Freon Thefts

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A LaPorte man was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly stealing Freon from two businesses.

A witness at a business on E. Lincolnway told police that a man was messing around with the air conditioning units outside the building. The witness told police that the suspect was lying between the air conditioning units next to the building. As other employees were arriving to work, the suspect was seen messing with the air units. He was told to leave the property.

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Jemiolo Accused of Beating and Stabbing Wife to Death

Posted on Author WKVI
Joseph Jemiolo
Joseph Jemiolo

A LaPorte County man accused of killing his wife was in LaPorte Superior Court for an initial hearing Thursday.

The affidavit for probable cause outlines a gruesome incident in which Joseph Jemiolo allegedly beat and stabbed his wife, Kathy Jemiolo, to death at their home in the 800 block of E. Street in LaPorte on Tuesday, June 11.

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Accused heroin dealer, probation violator jailed in LaPorte County

Posted on Author WKVI
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 County Jail Still Limping Due to Funding Issues

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

The fifth floor of the LaPorte County Jail remains closed as the LaPorte County Council has not approved enough money to fund the jail overtime budget.

The council discussed the situation Monday night and Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer said the council did approve the transfer of $30,000 from the sheriff’s DOC misdemeanor fund to help fund a portion of the cost for the rest of the year. An appropriation of at least $70,000 was requested to adequately fund that budget for the rest of the year. That money will be used to properly staff jailers and a nurse.

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Former South Central Teacher Arrested on Charges of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

A former teacher from the South Central School Corporation has been arrested after officers from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department investigated a claim that he allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a former student.

40-year-old Brian L. Strauss was arrested at his home in Michigan City yesterday afternoon and has been charged with two counts of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, as a Class B Felony and a Class C Felony, Child Solicitation as a Class C Felony and Vicarious Sexual Gratification, a Class D Felony.

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LaPorte County Jail Still Underfunded

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

No progress has been made with the LaPorte County Jail funding issue.

A wing was closed last week in the LaPorte County Jail after the LaPorte County Council did not approve a request for an additional appropriation of $70,000 to fund the jail overtime budget for the rest of the year. That money was to be used to properly staff jailers and nurses. As a result, three part-time employees were laid off whose wages are funded from the overtime budget.

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Mini-Riot Occurs at LaPorte County Jail

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

A mini-riot broke out in the LaPorte County Jail Friday evening – this after the Sheriff’s announcement last week that the closure of a jail wing put the jail in an overcrowding situation.

The inmates refused to lock-down into their cells and deputies had to use tasers and pepper spray to bring order to the population. The inmates complied with orders prior to the arrival of road officers and a K9 unit to the cell block.

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One Wing at LaPorte County Jail Forced to Close

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

A wing is now closed in the LaPorte County Jail after the LaPorte County Council did not approve a request for an additional appropriation of $70,000 to fund the jail overtime budget for the rest of the year. That money was to be used to properly staff jail operations. As a result, Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer said all overtime has been stopped.

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LaPorte Co. Claims Former Jail Matron Wrongly Received Pension

Posted on Author WKVI

The wife of a former LaPorte County sheriff may be required to pay the county more than $34,000 for a falsely-claimed pension. The Sheriff’s Merit Board has filed suit, claiming Lauren Arnold was not a law enforcement officer and therefore ineligible to collect a pension. Arnold was the matron for the LaPorte County Jail from 1999 to 2006 while her husband, Jim, was sheriff.

The merit board says Arnold did not graduate from the Indiana Law Enforcement academy and chose not to participate in the pension program in 1999. However, they say in 2004 she sought the pension that she claimed had been owed to her for the previous five years, and in 2006 she was awarded $20,950 in retroactive payments.

The merit board wrote Arnold in July asking her to reimburse the monies, but her attorney refused and claims the benefits were properly paid. Jim Arnold indicated he and his wife will defend themselves against the legal action.