Wells Superior Court

Criminal Cases

Holden Walker Eisaman, 19, Bluffton, pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor.

Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail, with all but two days suspended — credited as time served, and placed on probation for 363 days.

Ordered to serve 30 days of home detention, pay a $200 Countermeasures fee, court costs and probation fees.

As part of a plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed: operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of at least .08 percent but less than .15 percent, a Class C misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; minor in possession of alcohol, a Class C misdemeanor; and open alcoholic beverage container during operation of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of tobacco, driving left of center, failure to signal lane change or turn and unsafe movement on a road with two or more lanes, all Class C infractions.

While patrolling 450E Oct. 29, a Bluffton police officer noticed an oncoming vehicle move over the fog line to meet him as the officer passed by. That caught the officer’s attention and he watched the vehicle as it was going away from him, observing it weaving within its lane.

The officer decided to turn around and follow it.

The officer observed it fail to signal a turn onto Ind. 116, continue to weave in its lane, and fail to maintain a constant speed. The officer pulled the vehicle over.

While speaking with Eisaman, the officer observed in his report that he spotted an opened box of Busch Lite Apple beer. The officer asked Eisaman if he had been drinking. Eisaman denied that he had, but the officer observed that Eisaman appeared intoxicated, smelled of alcohol, and failed field sobriety tests. Later a certified breath test conducted at the Wells County Jail reportedly showed his alcohol concentration equivalency to be .149 percent, well in excess of Indiana’s legal limit for intoxication of .08 percent.

During an inventory of Eisaman’s vehicle, law enforcement officers, who arrived to assist in the arrest, reportedly found a carton that read “The Grow” on the side. Inside the carton was reportedly a container that read “Cannabis pre-rolls 5.0 grams usable marijuana.” Inside were reportedly four “blunts,” a slang term for a marijuana cigar. Also found inside the car was a nearly full Du Bouchett Amaretto Liqueur bottle, two Vuse vapes, and a Yo Can Hive vape.

———

Order of conditional discharge granted to Denver Wyatte Hayes, 24, Tocsin, charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

The duration of the deferred proceedings is one year. If Hayes follows all of the rules set by the Wells County Probation Department for the discharge the charges against him will be dismissed.

Ordered to pay $100.

On Dec. 9, a Bluffton police officer pulled over a 2016 Nissan Rogue after noting it had a license plate tag that expired in July. While speaking with the driver, the officer remarked he could smell an odor of marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle. The driver, who was not Hayes, said that someone had smoked marijuana in the vehicle earlier.

The officer had the driver and her passenger, Hayes, exit the vehicle. A search reportedly turned up a vape cartridge labeled Sativa Blue Dream Drip marijuana liquid 86.76 percent. 

Hayes reportedly admitted that the cartridge belonged to him.

———

Order of conditional discharge granted to Jackson Truex, 30, and Katie Truex, 29, both of Vera Cruz, and each charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

The duration of the deferred proceedings is one year. If the Truexes follow all of the rules set by the Wells County Probation Department for the discharge the charges against them will be dismissed.

Each was ordered to pay $100.

Sheriff’s deputies and Wells County EMS responded to the Truex residence Dec. 4 on a report that Katie Truex was reporting that she “felt like she was going to die.”

Originally Katie Truex denied any substance abuse but then allegedly admitted to having smoked marijuana approximately 15 minutes earlier in the garage of the residence. She allegedly admitted that the marijuana had been purchased from a marijuana dispensary in Michigan and that it was in a tool box in the garage.

Jackson Truex reportedly confirmed that he had bought the marijuana from “some guy in town” who got it “from a guy” who bought it at a Michigan dispensary.

Jackson Truex then reportedly retrieved the marijuana, which was in two small wooden boxes.

———

Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Zakiya Jones, 27, Fort Wayne, charged with driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance, a Class A infraction. Larry Mock appointed public defender. Jones ordered to pay a $50 public defender fee.

On Dec. 8, an Ossian police officer received a report of a vehicle southbound on Ind. 1 from Allen County that had been involved in a hit-and-run accident. The officer spotted a sport utility vehicle matching the description and pulled it over on Jefferson Street at Mill Street.

The driver, identified as Jones, reportedly did not deny being involved in the accident but said she had to get work. When the officer asked her for her driver’s license, she reportedly admitted she did not have one. The officer then asked her if that’s why she left the scene of the accident and she reportedly replied that it was.

Jones, who is Black, reportedly accused the officer of being racist and profiling her. She also allegedly passively resisted arrest while continuing to accuse the officer, who was white, of being racist.

Reportedly Jones has 13 active suspensions against her driver’s license and a prior conviction for driving while suspended on April 8, 2021.