Wells Superior Court
Criminal Cases
Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for José Martinez Hernandez, 26, Fort Wayne, charged with possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor,; no or improper taillight and/or license plate light and open alcoholic beverage container during operation of a motor vehicle, both Class C misdemeanors. Released on his own recognizance.
While patrolling Ind. 1 northbound Aug. 2, a sheriff’s deputy noticed a 2012 Chevrolet Impala ahead of him weaving in its lane. He pulled it over.
Upon speaking with the driver, identified as Hernandez, the deputy reported being able to smell an “overwhelming” aroma of body spray mingled with marijuana.
The deputy asked Hernandez if there was anything illegal in his vehicle and he allegedly replied not that he knew of.
An Indiana State Police trooper arrived to assist and Hernandez’s car was searched and during the search, allegedly an open can of Monaco cocktail was reportedly found along with a small clear plastic bag of a green leafy plant material with the odor and appearance of marijuana.
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Richard Jarnigan, 62, Warsaw, pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalency of .15 percent or more with a prior conviction for the same or a similar offense, a Level 6 felony and was found to be an habitual vehicular substance abuse offender.
Ordered to serve 1,642 days in prison. Credited for 84 days spent in confinement awaiting disposition of his case. Ordered to pay court costs of $185.50.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Level 6 felony; driving while suspended, a Class A infraction; driving left of center, speeding, disregarding a stop sign, open alcoholic beverage container during operation of a motor vehicle, unsafe movement from lane to lane, failure to change name or address on a driver’s license, and driving a motor vehicle not equipped with two or more stoplights, all Class C infractions, were dismissed.
A sheriff’s deputy had pulled his patrol vehicle into the gravel area near the intersection of Ind. 218 and Ind. 3 June 24 when he reported seeing a red Chevrolet Venture van blow by him at a high rate of speed.
The deputy pulled out behind the vehicle, reportedly accelerating his patrol vehicle to 123 mph in an effort to catch it. Near Mount Zion, the deputy reported the van started to straddle the center line and drove an oncoming vehicle off the road. The deputy activated the lights and siren of his patrol vehicle, but it reportedly took Jarnagin a while to respond and pull over.
The deputy asked Jarnagin if he knew why he was pulled over and Jarnagin reportedly replied he did not know. When the deputy told him, he said he didn’t see a stop sign at the Ind. 218-Ind. 3 intersection. The deputy asked him where he was coming from and where he was heading and Jarnigan reportedly replied he was on his way home from Wabash. Jarnigan’s home at the time was in Warsaw, in the opposite direction from which he was traveling.
Jarnagin reportedly admitted to the deputy he had drank “about a half pint of whiskey” earlier in the day and would fail field sobriety tests. He then reportedly fell into the ditch and asked if he could just stay lying in the ditch for awhile.
A Breathalyzer test reportedly showed Jarnagin’s alcohol concentration equivalency to be .221.
The deputy reportedly found an empty bottle of Canadian Mist whiskey in the vehicle.
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Preliminary plea of not guilty entered for Carlos Edward Slater, 43, Bluffton, charged with unlawful possession of a hypodermic syringe and possession of methamphetamine, both Level 6 felonies. Bond continued at $60,000. Larry Mock appointed public defender.
Slater was on parole July 27 when he reportedly contacted the emergency dispatch center with threats of self-harm. Officers responded and, after some length of time, Slater was taken by Wells County EMS for treatment. Because of Slater’s parole status and because he allegedly admitted to officers there was methamphetamine in the apartment, his parole officer requested a search of the apartment. During the search of the apartment, officers reportedly seized a hypodermic syringe, drug paraphernalia, and a substance that had the appearance of methamphetamine.
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Leah Nicole Crowder, 28, Hartford City, pleaded guilty to theft, a Class A misdemeanor.
Sentenced to a year in the Wells County Jail, all suspended, and placed on probation for one year.
Ordered to pay court costs and probation fees.
Crowder was also found to be in violation of her probation from a June 23 sentence for driving while suspended with a prior conviction for the same offense, a Class A misdemeanor.
She was ordered to serve 90 days in the Wells County Jail and credited for six days spent in confinement awaiting disposition of her case. Upon completion of her sentence, her probation will terminate.
Crowder was charged with taking a George Company pack of white T-shirts of shirts and a pair of jeggings from the Bluffton Walmart Supercenter July 28 without paying for either item. The value of the items allegedly stolen were $33.13.
Both Crowder and a man who was with her exited the store and drove away but both were caught just down the street at LoBob’s Tobacco.
Crowder admitted to the theft. Allegedly neither Crowder nor the man she was with had a valid driver’s license.
Civil Cases
Writs of possession granted to SMS Property Management, Fort Wayne against: Dillon Geninatti and Megan Sawyer, Bluffton; and Susan Sutton, Bluffton.
