INCIDENTS
City:
Monday, 12:15 p.m., Roush Park. Bluffton police located a girl who had been listed as a runaway from Adams County.
Monday, 2:03 p.m., residence in the 900 block of South Johnson Street. Officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute. Situation calmed, parties separated. Saul Vasquez Mora, 25, Bluffton, was charged with domestic battery, a Level 6 felony. Bond set at $50,000.
Monday, 2:53 p.m., residence in the 1000 block of West Washington St. Shoes stolen. The theft occurred about a month ago.
Monday, 3:51 p.m., Praxis substance abuse treatment facility, 1529 W. Lancaster St. Male patient quit the program but now was refusing to leave the facility. Officer took the man to Walmart to be picked up by a family member or acquaintance.
Tuesday, 6:52 a.m., Goodyear Tire Service, 1308 S. Main St. Officer’s presence requested while an employee was being dismissed from the business. The former employee was issued a no trespass warning for the business.
Tuesday, 9:23 p.m., Walmart Supercenter, 2100 N. Main St. Store’s security surveillance system caught on video a person stealing merchandise from the store.
Tuesday, 10:25 a.m., residence in the 1100 block of West Washington Street. Report of a loud verbal altercation between a woman and her ex-husband. Officers responded. Situation calmed, parties separated.
Tuesday, 11:42 a.m., residence in the 200 block of East Arnold Street. Caller reported that earlier a man had come to the door of the residence and attempted to get into the house but upon seeing that someone was home, the man ran back to the van, got inside and the van fled the area.
Monday, 9:20 p.m., Ind. 124 at 200W. Sheriff’s deputy pulled over a vehicle and arrested the driver, Ali Issa Souleimane, 18, Fort Wayne, for driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor. He was released on his own recognizance
Tuesday, 5:40 a.m., residence on 600W south of Ind. 218. Report of someone burning plastic. Sheriff’s deputy responded and reported that the “whole town (of Mount Zion) was full of the odor of burning plastic. Deputy traced the smoke and odor to a burning barrel at a residence and informed the man who answered the door about the burning complaint. “At first he said it was only cardboard, but then said they put one bag of trash in the barrel,” the deputy wrote in his report. The man agreed to put a lid on the barrel.
Tuesday, 6:25 a.m., 100E north of 200N. Sheriff’s deputy assisted a stranded motorist.
Ossian:
Monday, 6:38 p.m., Ossian Subway, 502 S. Jefferson St. While following a 2010 Cadillac south on Jefferson Street from Davis Road, a sheriff’s deputy observed that the license plate light on the vehicle was not working. The deputy followed the Cadillac into the parking lot of the Subway restaurant. The deputy spoke with the driver and observed an odor of both raw and burned marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle. The deputy asked the driver, identified as Jamar James Wright, 35, Fort Wayne, for his driver’s license. Wright reportedly told the deputy he did not have a driver’s license in his possession. The deputy asked about the smell of marijuana and Wright reportedly replied he had been smoking marijuana before going into work at Pretzels Inc. in Bluffton. A search of his vehicle reportedly turned up a small hand-rolled marijuana cigarette and a small plastic bag with crumbs of marijuana inside. Wright was charged with possession of marijuana with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor; and operating a motor vehicle with no license plate light and/or taillights, a Class C infraction. Bond was set at $2,000.
ACCIDENTS
City:
Saturday, midnight, West Central Avenue east of Oak Street. Jules Omar Buffington, 18, rural Peru, backed a 2016 Chevrolet Impala into a parked 1998 GMC Jimmy sport utility vehicle registered to Joseph M. Doughty, Bluffton. Buffington was arrested on charges of minor in possession of alcohol and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, both Class C misdemeanors, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor. Bond was set at $2,000.
County:
Friday, 8:45 a.m., 300S east of 200W. Michael A. Barnes, 28, Liberty Center, was driving a 2010 Dodge Ram pickup truck east on 300S when he hit an icy patch in the road. The truck slid out of control, spun around 90 degrees, slammed into an REMC electric pole, broke the pole and then spun back around 270 degrees, stopping in a field facing northeast. Both Barnes and his passenger, Jeremy A. Berry, 36, Liberty Center were taken by Wells County EMS to Bluffton Regional Medical Center for treatment. Damage exceeded $5,000. Liberty Township Fire Rescue was dispatched to the scene.
Friday, 3:52 p.m., Ind. 124 near 100W. Austin Mygrant, 19, Bluffton, was driving a 1999 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck east on Ind. 124 when he hit a patch of ice and snow. The pickup truck slid out of control, crossed the center line, rotated 180 degrees, slid off the road and struck two small pine trees with the passenger side of the truck. The momentum of the vehicle and the sudden stop by the two small trees caused the truck to flip onto its passenger side. Wells County EMS and Liberty Township Fire Rescue were dispatched. Mygrant was not trapped or pinned. He was checked out by paramedics but declined transport to the hospital. Damage exceeded $5,000.
Saturday, 2:35 a.m., 700S. Brooklyn N. Moore, 17, rural Poneto, was driving a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville west on 700S when the car slid out of control on an icy patch in the road, slid off the road and sideswiped a utility pole. Moore was not injured and there was no damage to the pole. Damage to the Bonneville exceeded $1,000.
Saturday, 10:16 a.m., 1000W at 1000S. There are yield signs posted at the intersection for 1000W. Joshua L. Jones, 39, Kokomo, was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, registered to Big Sky Logisitcs, Boseman, Mont./ common carrier Fed Ex Ground Package System, Coraopolis, Pa., north on 1000W when he failed to yield the right of way to an eastbound 2006 Mercury Milan driven by Kenneth L. Jones, 58, rural Marion. The right side front passenger corner of the Milan struck the drivers side front corner of the van causing the van to spin 270 degrees and crash into an AEP electric pole. The impact with the pole caused the wires to drop and knocked out power to the area. The impact propelled the car in a northeasterly direction, causing it to travel into the ditch. Van Buren Fire Rescue, Liberty Township Fire Rescue, Chester Township Fire Department first responders and Wells County EMS dispatched to the scene. Neither driver was injured. Damage exceeded $10,000.
FIRE RUNS
Monday, 9:37 p.m., 911 E. Spring St. residence of David Croghan Jr. Oven on fire. Fire out before firefighters arrived.
Tuesday, 9:27 a.m., Linder Oil, 820 Industrial Parkway. Smell of natural gas in the area. Ossian Fire Department dispatched. Northern Indiana Public Service Company contacted.
Friday, 6:41 p.m., rental house at 702 Clark Avenue. Report of fire coming up through the floorboards in a room in the house. Bluffton Fire Department dispatched and Liberty Township and Ossian fire departments dispatched for mutual aid but later advised to disregard. Source of the flames was traced to a faulty electrical outlet in the floor. The breaker powering the outlet was turned off. Firefighters determined that the outlet was not properly wired. Tenants advised to contact the landlord.
Saturday, 6:36 p.m., Sonlight Wesleyan Church, 2350S-Ind. 1. Skidsteer loader caught fire in the parking lot. Bluffton Fire Department dispatched. A sheriff’s deputy was the first to arrive and used his in-car fire extinguisher to put out the fire. When firefighters arrived, they discovered that there was straw packed up in the engine compartment of the vehicle. The smoldering straw was pulled out and extinguished with a water can. The owner of the skidsteer was Dustin Wilkerson of rural Keystone.
Sunday, 5:38 p.m., 208 N. Oak St. apartment of Kodi Hamilton. Smell of natural gas in the apartment. Bluffton Fire Department responded. No gas detected.
ARRESTS
Will Anthony Gregory, 26, Indianapolis; failure of carriers of dangerous communicable diseases to warn persons at risk, a Class B misdemeanor. Bond set at $1,000.
Amanda J. Dow, 37, rural Warsaw; theft, wherein the value of the property alleged stolen is in excess of $750 but less than $50,000, a Level 6 felony; counterfeiting and application fraud, a Level 6 felony; and fraud, a Level 6 felony. Bond set at $15,000.
Shawn Michael Collis, 29, Bluffton; probation violation. No bond set.
Raigan Ilene Harkinson, 22, rural Montpelier; driving while suspended, a Class A misdemeanor. Bond set at $1,500.
Angela Marie Smith, 42, Ossian; battery, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, all Class B misdemeanors. Bond set at $4,000. Bonded.
