New Charges Filed Against Convicted Murderer, Child Molester

Posted on Author WKVI
Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Office lead Richard Dobeski, 67, out of an Indianapolis library. Photo provided by the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office lead Richard Dobeski, 67, out of an Indianapolis library. Photo provided by the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.

A convicted murderer and child molester is back in jail after his arrest yesterday at a public library in Indianapolis. Richard Dobeski, 67, was picked up on a LaPorte County warrant for four counts of failure to register as a sex offender. All are Level 6 felonies, which carry a penalty of between 6 months and 2.5 years in prison. A failure to register charge will also be filed in Marion County, according to officials with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department. Dobeski was released last week from the Indiana Department of Correction New Carlisle facility. Continue reading →

Two-County Pursuit Lands Union Mills Woman in Jail

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A Union Mills woman faces a felony charge after initiating a pursuit with police that spanned two counties.

The incident started around 3:15 p.m. CT Tuesday afternoon when LaPorte County Sheriff’s Officers were notified of a vehicle involved in a hit and run and headed into the county from St. Joseph County. The vehicle driven by 56-year-old Kim Echterling failed to stop on State Road 2 at County Road 300 East after LaPorte County Captain Dave Pflughaupt attempted to end the pursuit. The vehicle continued into the City of LaPorte.

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LaCrosse Co-Alliance Employees Recovering After Explosion

Posted on Author WKVI

Boom 28All of the employees injured last month when a LaCrosse grain elevator exploded are all out of the hospital. That’s according to officials with Avon-based Co-Alliance, which owns the elevator. The company operates the elevator where the April 16 explosion occurred. Of the four injured men, two were airlifted immediately to Fort Wayne and a third was taken from Porter Memorial in Valparaiso to Loyola. The fourth was treated in Valpo. Continue reading →

Mock Crash Demonstration Scheduled at South Central Schools

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A demonstration to bring awareness to student driver safety is set for Friday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m. CT at the South Central School Corporation.

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office is focused on safety for the upcoming prom season. Sheriff John Boyd stated that LaPorte County has not seen any accidents involving teen drivers during this time of the year, and he wants that to continue.

Sheriff Boyd wants to focus on the importance of safe driving habits including distracted driving. Cell phone calls and texting are two issues surrounding distracted driving.

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LaPorte County Courthouse Evacuated after Bomb Threat

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A Michigan City man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly sending a bomb threat notice by mail to the LaPorte County clerk’s office.

The employee received a letter addressed to the clerk’s office delivered by the United States Postal Service. When she opened the envelope, she found a powdery substance and a letter, according to a news release. She immediately took the envelope and the contents to the courthouse security office.

The letter stated that explosives were located in or near the courthouse, as noted in the press release. With that, the courthouse was evacuated and a request was made for the assistance of the Michigan City Police Department, LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, LaPorte County Hazardous Materials Team, Michigan City Fire Department and LaPorte County Emergency Management.

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LaPorte County Officials Report Successful Pill Take Back Day

Posted on Author WKVI

 

These are some of the medications collected by the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office.
These are some of the medications collected by the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.

Nearly 29 pounds of unused and unwanted medications were collected in LaPorte County on Saturday as part of National Pill Take Back Day. Medications were received personally by officials from the sheriff’s office and placed in the pill drop box in the lobby. This includes 7.2 pounds of liquid medicine and 21.6 pounds of pills. The liquids will be disposed of in cat litter and taken by a licensed waste hauler. The pills will be incinerated at a licensed facility. Department officials are pleased with the results of Saturday’s effort and the public’s willingness to safely dispose of unwanted and expired medications. This keeps them from falling into the hands of children or others who may wish to abuse them. The pill drop program also prevents medications from contaminating groundwater and is an environmentally safe and responsible way to get rid of them.

Escaped Quadruple Murderer Behind Bars in LaPorte County

Posted on Author WKVI
Michael Elliot
Michael Elliot

A convicted murderer who escaped from a Michigan prison is behind bars again following an unsuccessful attempt to steal a car in LaPorte County. Sheriff’s deputies there arrested Michael David Elliot last evening after he allegedly fled from Aero Metals in a stolen 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Police say the vehicle’s owner has started it to warm it up, went inside and saw it driving away when he came back outside. Officers from the LaPorte Police Department spotted the car, and deputies from the sheriff’s office took over the pursuit once the driver left the city limits. Elliot escaped Sunday night from Ionia Correctional Facility in Michigan sometime between 6 and 7 p.m. He was convicted of four murders in 1993, is serving five life sentences and was considered armed and dangerous. Elliot is charged with the felony offenses of motor vehicle theft and resisting law enforcement in LaPorte County, where he’s jailed without bond pending his extradition to Michigan.

One Dead, 15 Injured in LaPorte County Bus Crash

Posted on Author WKVI

 

 
 

Snowy roads are to blame for a New Year’s Day collision between a pickup truck and a charter bus in LaPorte County that claimed a life. It happened around 3:30 p.m. on U.S. 20 just east of County Road 450 in the Rolling Prairie area, according to our reporting partners at WNDU-TV. A pickup truck driven by 36-year-old John Kallok of Griffith was westbound, lost control on the slick road and swerved into the path of a chartered bus. First responders had to cut Kallok from the wreckage using the jaws of life. He was pronounced dead at the scene from blunt force trauma. The 15 passengers on the bus were treated at area hospitals for non-life-treatening injuries. The bus was en route from Four Winds Casino in Michigan toward the South Bend area when the crash occurred. The driver managed to avoid striking a line of trees, drove through a ditch and skidded about 300 feet off the road into a cornfield.

LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office Excited About Video Visitation

Posted on Author WKVI

LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff’s Office
A level of convenience has been added to visitation at the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, thanks to the installation of the Securus Video Visitation system. According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, the system allows family, friends and attorneys to schedule and participate in video visitation with inmates from a dedicated video visitation room at the County Complex or from any personal computer that is connected to the Internet, even from their own home.

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Boyd to Announce Candidacy for LaPorte County Sheriff

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Major John Boyd
LaPorte County Sheriff’s Major John Boyd

A veteran member of the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office is set to announce his candidacy for sheriff. Major John Boyd has worked his way up from through the ranks since joining the department in 1990 and is now third in command. Prior to that promotion Boyd served as a captain and chief of detectives. Boyd will formally announce his candidacy tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Heston Hills Banquet and Conference Center in LaPorte. Several prominent Republicans are scheduled to attend, including LaPorte County Republican Party Chairman Leigh Morris, LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo, State Rep. Tom Dermody and former LaPorte County Sheriff Ken Layton, who is Boyd’s campaign chairman. Boyd says in a statement that he looks forward to running a positive campaign, and his main goal if elected is to tackle the heroin epidemic in the county. He also pledges to work tirelessly to improve the safety and security of students in the local schools.

LaPorte County Crash Leaves One Dead

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A man lost his life in a single vehicle crash in LaPorte County this weekend. On Saturday, July 27, LaPorte County sheriff’s deputies were called to a scene around 5:41 a.m. in the 6000 North block of County Road 525 West in Springfield Township.

When police arrived at the scene, they discovered a silver 1997 Honda Civic had struck a tree while reportedly traveling southbound on County Road 525 West when the driver failed to navigate a curve in the roadway, crossing the center line and driving through the oncoming lane. The driver then left the roadway and struck a large tree, sustaining severe damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle.

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Fish Lake Man Charged With Multiple Sex Offenses

Posted on Author WKVI
David Kaufman
David Kaufman

A Fish Lake man faces multiple felony sex offenses after an extensive investigation by the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office. They arrested David G. Kaufman, 57, without incident last night at his home. He’s charged with three counts of attempted sexual misconduct with a minor and one count each of attempted possession of child pornography and false informing. Kaufman is scheduled to appear in LaPorte Circuit Court on Friday, July 26.

Pilot in LaPorte County Crash Died of Blunt Force Trauma

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The South Bend man who was killed Sunday when his plane crashed near Rolling Prairie died of blunt force trauma, according to preliminary autopsy reports. LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan tells our reporting partner at WNDU-TV that he is “very confident the gentleman passed when his aircraft hit the ground.” Benjamin Hubbard, 36, was flying from Niles, Mich. to Plymouth when he somehow veered off course and crashed. LaPorte County dispatchers received a 911 call from a man who was driving nearby when the plane crashed, but first responders were unable to locate any wreckage. They found the plane a few hours later in a field of corn 10 feet high when Hubbard’s friend, who was in another plane, retraced his flight path and spotted the wreckage from the air. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

 

Traffic Stop Leads to Felony Drug Arrest

Posted on Author WKVI
Travis Bates
Travis Bates

A LaPorte man’s lead foot landed him in jail for possession of heroin following a Sunday night traffic stop. Travis Bates, 26, was pulled over for speeding at Fox Park in LaPorte around 8:20 p.m., and his vehicle was searched. Officers reportedly found drug paraphernalia and a brown crystal substance that tested positive for heroin. He’s facing a felony charge.

 

Officers Conduct Compliance Sweep of Registered Sex Offenders

Posted on Author WKVI
police investigation 2
 

“Operation Lost Innocence” was conducted in LaPorte County this week. This is an effort by various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to check compliance of sex offenders.

Parole officers and investigators from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police, Michigan City Police and United States Marshals Service verified residency and employment of 87 sex offenders who reside and work in LaPorte County.

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