Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Infractions
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Carter Andrew-Rose Jackson, 21, listed as homeless, charged with domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a Level 6 felony. Bond set at $5,000, surety only. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
Jackson is charged with battering a girlfriend at the Bluffton residence they shared Jan. 30.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Fortino Reyes Castillo, 32, Greenwood, charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of .15 percent or more, a Class A misdemeanor; knowingly or intentionally operating a motor vehicle without ever having been issued a driver’s license, a Class C misdemeanor; and driving left of center, a Class C infraction. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
A sheriff’s deputy was monitoring traffic in the 1700 block of North Main Street Feb. 8 when he heard a loud crash and looked over in time to see a 2015 Nissan Altima driving off Main Street after having apparently crashed into the center crosswalk sign in front of the Willowbrook Hosuing addition. The deputy reported seeing the Altima drive off the road and down into a steep ditch in front of Professional Federal Credit Union.
The deputy hustled over to see if anyone was hurt and discovered Castillo behind the steering wheel. The deputy observed in his report that Castillo appeared intoxicated and there was an odor of alcohol emanating from the interior of the vehicle.
The deputy, using Google translate to communicate with Castillo, wrote that he told Castillo to turn off the car and to exit it, but that Castillo seemed to be unable to understand either command. The deputy then asked Catillo if he was hurt and Castillo reportedly replied he was not.
Eventually Castillo exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.
Through a human translator, Castillo allegedly admitted to having drank four to five Corona beers. A portable Breathalyzer test reportedly showed Castillo had an alcohol concentration equivalency of .268 percent, or more than three times Indiana’s legal limit for intoxication of .08 percent.
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Dominic Irelan, 18, Bluffton, pleaded guilty to minor consuming alcohol, a Class C misdemeanor.
Sentenced to 60 days in the Wells County Jail, all suspended, and placed on probation for one year.
Ordered to undergo substance abuse evaluation, and pay court costs and probation fees.
As part of a plea agreement, one count of minor in possession of alcohol, a Class C misdemeanor, was dismissed.
Irelan was one of several minors detained after police broke up an underage drinking party in the 700 block of West Wiley Avenue Dec. 31.
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Lucas Matthew Grady, 18, Bluffton, charged with minor consuming alcohol and minor in possession of alcohol, both Class C misdemeanors, entered into a contract to withhold prosecution/pre-trial diversion.
The duration of the contract is one year. If Grady follows all of the rules set for him in the contract, the charges against him will be dismissed.
Ordered to write a 500-word book report from one of the books on the pre-trial diversion list, pay court costs and user’s fees.
Grady was detained following the same party as Irelan.
Civil Cases
Motion to dismiss granted to defendant Tony Shively in the complaint for payment case of Vonita Royal, Bluffton, against Tony Shively, Bluffton.
Complaint for payment of $1,675 filed by BCG Capital, Bluffton, against Cregg Riley, Bluffton.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Rodney Eugene Hedgecraft, 52, Anderson, charged with failure to register as a sex or violent offender, a Level 5 felony. Bond continued at $10,000. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
Hedegecraft reportedly failed to register as a sex offender with the Wells County sex offender registrar while he was a patient at the Praxis substance abuse treatment facility 1529 W. Lancaster St. Feb. 1. Reportedly at that time. Hedgecraft was also arrested on a parole retake warrant.
Hedgecraft is required to register as a sex offender for life following a conviction of a sex offense in Madison County in 2003.
Wells Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Victor Patrick Kirk Bell, 27, Angola, pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex or violent offender, a Level 5 felony.
Ordered to serve 1,460 days in prison with 913 days suspended. Credited for 132 days spent in confinement awaiting disposition of his case with said credit of days to be considered in assessing good conduct time credit.
Placed on probation for 913 days.
Ordered to submit a DNA sample, pay a $250 supplemental public defender service fund fee, court costs and probation fees.
Bell reportedly failed to register with the Wells County Sex Offender Registrar after moving to Wells County from Grant County in September of 2022. Bell is required to register as a sex offender until 2031 following a conviction in Grant County Superior Court 2 for sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 5 felony.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Zachary Thomas Harper, 29, Bluffton, charged with child molesting, a Level 4 felony. Bond continued at $10,000. Eric Orr is serving as Harper’s attorney.
Harper is charged with having inappropriate sexual contact with a boy under the age of 10 at a Bluffton residence in 2022.
