The investigation of the cock fighting case that came to light on Saturday is still ongoing, according to Starke County Police. One piece of information that was released yesterday was that the house where the rooster contests were being held was being rented by John Mathews, Jr and Connie Clemans.
The home is owned by an unidentified couple who reside in Wanatah.
Beginning Friday, March 4th, troopers from the Indiana State Police will join more than 250 other Indiana law enforcement agencies across the Hoosier State in the Over the Limit, Under Arrest March crackdown on impaired and dangerous driving.
It was a scene reminiscent of an old time western movie. Police from throughout the County and State rounded up 76 individuals involved in “cock fighting”. The arrests were made on Saturday morning at 0480 North 100 West in Starke County.
Law enforcement officers were responding to an anonymous tip.
“The Sheriff’s Department received an anonymous tip of animal fighting contests out at a residence on 100 West,” stated Starke County Chief Deputy, Bill Dulin. “Along with the Sheriff’s Department, we responded with the Indiana Conservation Units, State Police, Knox City Police, and North Judson units. When we got there, we noticed 10 or 15 vehicles and when we approached, 50 to 60 people took off running toward a river in an open field.”
Police officers arrested two on charges of Dealing and Possession of Marijuana after a marijuana growing operation was found at a residence in Knox.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department investigated a fatal accident late Friday afternoon.
According to the accident report, Edward O’Boyle was traveling eastbound on State Road 10 when 93-year-old William Lemke pulled into the roadway from the Highland Cemetery, attempting to go westbound on State Road 10. O’Boyle told police he was unable to avoid striking Lemke’s vehicle on the driver’s side. Lemke was pronounced dead at the scene. O’Boyle sustained minor injuries. Both O’Boyle and Lemke are from North Judson.
A witness told police that she saw Lemke stopped at the stop sign at the entrance of Highland Cemetery. She said that the sun was about to set and that it was hard to see oncoming traffic.
The Indiana State Police-Lowell and Bremen Districts released methamphetamine lab statistics from the counties they serve. 6 meth labs have been seized by the Department in LaPorte County and in Pulaski County, 6 in Jasper County, 7 in White County, 16 in Fulton County, 15 in Cass County, and 53 in Marshall County.
30 meth labs were seized by Indiana State Police in Starke County.
A Knox man was arrested, Thursday, after Plymouth and Starke County police officers searched for him as a suspect in an auto theft incident.
Officers went to 1175 E. 850 S. in Starke County where a stolen car was reported as abandoned in a field at that intersection. Police located the vehicle and found that it had been stolen from Goshen. Officers went to a nearby residence to attempt to locate the suspect and when they first approached the residence, officers spoke to the homeowner, who identified himself as Terry Jordan, who denied the suspect was there. Officers left the residence and were able to obtain a BMV photo of the male at the residence and found that it was not Terry Jordan, but another male whose name is not being released at this time due to an ongoing investigation. The male who was there has an outstanding warrant out of Marshall County.
Starke County Sheriff’s Department officers arrested two citizens on meth related charges after a traffic stop, Monday.
Police saw a car slide through a red light and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, driven by Randall Appleton, of North Judson. While investigating the incident, police found methamphetamine and items allegedly used to make methamphetamine. Appleton was arrested and has preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Visiting a Common Nuisance, Possession of Precursors, and Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver. Continue reading
Two people were arrested by the Hamlet Police Department, Wednesday, after a police pursuit.
Hamlet Police Chief, Jeremiah Patrick, told WKVI that at 10:30 p.m. CT, Wednesday, Larry Catt, 21, of Hamlet, failed to stop after police initiated a traffic stop. A vehicle pursuit ensued and ended at Catt’s residence at 607 W. Davis Street in Hamlet. While police officers were taking Catt into custody, Lonzo Jackson came out of the residence with a large knife on his belt and in a rage, demanded that police leave his driveway and release Larry from custody. Jackson was told to go back inside the residence and he did not comply. When police attempted to take Jackson into custody, he ran into his residence and locked the door. Hamlet Police and Starke County Sheriff’s Department officers made their way into the house and Jackson was taken into custody after a struggle.
The body of an 82-year-old North Judson man was found Wednesday morning after a Silver Alert was issued by the North Judson Police Department. Robert L. Lemke was found after he was reported missing when a family member went to check on him on Tuesday evening. Lemke was believed to have left home on foot sometime between the evening hours Sunday, January 2nd and Tuesday evening.
Starke County Sheriff Oscar Cowen has released the December 2010 statistics for the Sheriff’s Department.
There were 20 theft reports, 4 burglary reports, 12 Possession of a Controlled Substance reports, 4 DUI reports, 1 arson report, 25 domestic complaints and 160 accident reports.
Starke County Police deputies arrested Robert Packer, 40, of Walkerton, on Monday, January 3rd, in connection with the theft of auto parts from the Grovertown Truckstop on December 31st, 2010.
Packer is being held at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department on preliminary charges of Theft, Driving While Suspended and Possession of a Syringe.
Nicholas Bourff is the new Starke County Prosecutor, taking over from Julianne Havens. Ted Hayes sat down with Bourff last week and talked to him about a number of topics. In the interview, Bourff announced his staff including his First Deputy, Todd Wallsmith.
One of the questions Ted asked Bourff was what he will do with cases that are active, been filed by the former prosecutor, but have not been adjudicated.
Police officers will be out during the New Year’s Day holiday weekend and they will be on the lookout for drunk drivers. Jeremiah Patrick, Coordinator of the Starke County Traffic Safety Partnership, reports that officers from the organization will be out in force this weekend. The Starke County Traffic Safety Partnership includes officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, Knox City Police Department and the North Judson Police Department. Officers from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department will also be out in force to help detect drunk drivers.
A tragic auto accident occurred Sunday afternoon at the intersection of State Road 10 and State Road 35 in Starke County. Police found that Megan Smithson, 19, of Illinois, stopped at the intersection and pulled out onto US 35 and into the path of a vehicle driven by Tony Wagner, 37, of Winamac. Smithson was pronounced dead at the scene by Starke County Coroner, Kris Rannells.
Wagner was transported to Starke Memorial Hospital and airlifted to South Bend Memorial for leg injuries sustained in the accident. An 18-year-old passenger in Smithson’s vehicle was also airlifted to South Bend Memorial due to injuries suffered in the accident. The Bass Lake Fire Department and Starke County EMS assisted the Starke County Sheriff’s Department at the scene.
Indiana State Police Superintendent, Paul Whitesell, recently announced the promotion of First Sergeant, James Strong, to the rank of Lieutenant to serve as the Commander of the Indiana State Police Post in Bremen. The Bremen Post covers Marshall, St. Joseph, Kosciusko, and Elkhart Counties. Strong earned this promotion through written testing and a competitive interview process.
Additional charges have been filed against a Walkerton man who told Starke County police officers to leave him alone or he would kill them or himself. Donald Smith, 33, engaged in a 45 minute standoff with officers before he was taken into custody on December 15th, from a camper he was occupying.
Smith has been charged with Dealing Methamphetamine, a Class B Felony; Possession of Precursors with a Firearm, a Class C Felony; Intimidation, a Class D Felony; and Theft, a Class D Felony. He has a bond of $75,000 through Starke Circuit Court.
Starke County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested 33-year-old Donald Smith of Walkerton, Wednesday, on a preliminary charge of Intimidation, a Class C Felony, and more could follow.
Knox City Police Department officers arrested Matthew Blount, 23, of Wheatfield and Erica Bailey, 21, of Knox on methamphetamine related charges Wednesday night.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department had two reports of a car sliding off the road during the recent snow event. The Sheriff’s Department offers these tips for safe winter driving:
