Dec. 21—{span style=”font-size: 20px;”}GOSHEN — Jesus Alvarado Lopez Jr. is was sentenced in Elkhart County Circuit Court Thursday to a total of four years in prison for burglarizing an Elkhart business in March.{/span}
Police were called to Frank’s Painting & Paper, 625 Harrison St., Elkhart, for a suspected burglary in progress at 6:20 p.m. March 29. At the scene, they found items stacked near the back garage door as if they were ready to be taken from the property and found a man standing near the side of the property.
The man was handcuffed but told police he was the caller and an employee. The man told police a lock had been broken off the door on one side of the building.
While officers were clearing the building to ensure no one was inside, they saw two men run out and head west on Harrison Street. An officer chased after them and called to them but they continued to flee.
Speaking to neighbors, officers were able to find both men in a yard in the 800 block of Marion Street. One of the men, Jesus Alvarado-Lopez, claimed to have been at his friend’s house for 30 minutes, but the officer said he was very sweaty, he told officers because he’d been working on the weed eater in the backyard.
No items were found in his pockets belonging to the business. The other man, however, told officers that Alvarado had come to his house not more than two minutes prior, that he had not been in the backyard, and he was not sweaty, officers noted.
Alvarado Lopez was sentenced by plea agreement to Count 1 burglary, a Level 5 felony to four years at the Indiana Department of Corrections.
CAMERON J. WOOLF
Cameron J. Woolf, 21, of Shipshewana, had his jury trial rescheduled.
Woolf allegedly had marijuana and cocaine in his system when his passenger, Adam Maxson-Jones, was killed in a car crash Nov. 16, 2022. Woolf was charged with causing death while operating a motor vehicle and possession of marijuana, but now the state is requesting amended charging information to add operating a motor vehicle with a controlled substance in the blood.
According to the police report, on that day, just west of Goshen, Woolf was traveling with Maxson-Jones, 21, in a 2012 Chrysler 200 south on C.R. 15. At the stop light at C.R. 32, he reportedly entered the intersection in front of a 2020 Jeep Wrangler driven by Wendy Streeter, 40, Goshen, heading east. Streeter’s vehicle collided with the passenger side of Woolf’s vehicle, the report reads.
Maxson-Jones was taken to Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Woolf and Streeter both submitted to blood draws. According to the charging affidavit, Streeter’s came back with a blood alcohol content of 0.06, and Woolf’s came back with metabolite THC and cocaine.
During Thursday’s hearing, Woolf’s defense attorney Jeffrey James said they received a substantial amount of additional evidence, and have a “critical witness,” a reconstructionist, that Woolf’s family has hired to testify. As a result, a continuance was approved.
Woolf’s jury trial was rescheduled from Jan. 6 to June 16, with a trial status conference scheduled for April 17.
ABRAHAM VILLEGAS, JR.
A man who allegedly attempted to ignite a gas station gasoline well on fire in Elkhart was in Elkhart County Circuit Court Thursday for a continuance of his Jan. 6 jury trial.
Abraham Villegas Jr., 33, Elkhart, was arrested by Elkhart city police on two counts of arson, a Level 4 felony; resisting causing bodily injury, a Level 6 felony; criminal mischief, a Level 6 felony; and interfering with reporting a crime, a Class A misdemeanor in the early morning hours of June 22.
Police said the owner of the Marathon Gas Station at 1218 S. Main St. contacted police after he observed a man outside attempting to light a gasoline well on fire on the security footage at 5 a.m. Police also reviewed the footage and saw on video a man entering the parking lot on the south side, retrieving trash from the bins, pulling the nozzle out of a pump, and saturating the trash with gasoline, a probable cause affidavit reads. He then reportedly took the trash to the well, ignited it, and threw it into the well before fleeing north. Police did find melted plastic inside the well and burnt debris.
About 45 minutes later, another officer heard a tire popping in the parking garage where police vehicles are kept on Marion Street and found at the location, a police vehicle on fire. Among other notable problems with the vehicle, the officer noted that a propane tank was lying on its side within feet of the blazing vehicle, and confirmed the fire was intentional. The officer went searching for a suspect, having not seen any vehicles leaving the area recently.
They did note someone, Villegas, walking northbound on East Street. He was reportedly carrying a fuel canister and another officer attempted to stop him, and the man and an officer got into a physical fight. When he was handcuffed, police reported that Villegas refused to identify himself and was transported to the jail.
Public Defender Bridgette Faulkner said they intend to have a resolution to the case in the near future. The trial was rescheduled form Jan. 6 to April 21, with a trial status conference scheduled for March 27.
DELANEY M. DAVIS
The fourth individual associated with an armed robbery in 2020 pleaded guilty in Elkhart County Circuit Court on Thursday. Delaney M. Davis, 21, along with three others, is accused of robbing a man at Ashton Pines in Goshen Oct. 6, 2020.
Adonis Blake and Morgan Carlson pleaded guilty last year.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the victim was asked by a woman he met on Snapchat for help with her car, so he met her at Ashton Pines Apartment Complex. While he was looking at the car, two men approached on foot and robbed him at gunpoint, tearing his shirt, and taking a stainless steel gold chain, his wallet, his phone and money from his glove box, according to the affidavit.
The two men then got into the car that the woman arrived in, with that woman and another who remained in the car and left, the report reads.
The robbery was captured by a security camera at the front of one of the apartments, reportedly showing the group arriving together, the two men leaving the area, and the woman moving into the driver’s seat. A search warrant of the cell phone number the woman used to contact the victim showed the number belonged to Blake, the report reads.
It was later learned by police that the guns were BB guns. Police interviewed Jazmine Jordan and Carlson who reportedly said they, Blake, and Davis were involved, calling Davis the lookout and threatening the victim with one of the BB guns, the affidavit reads. While in custody at Hardin County Detention Center in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Davis admitted that he’d been present but denied having a weapon or being involved in the planning of the robbery, according to the affidavit.
Davis’ trial status conference Dec.12, with a jury trial Jan. 6.
Davis pleaded guilty to armed robbery, a Level 3 felony. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16.
STEVEN D. MARTIN
One of two men accused of going on a crime spree in Dunlap two years ago will likely be pleading guilty.
Steven D. Martin, 54, South Bend, is one of two men accused of robbing Ulta and Meijer Sept. 27, 2021. The duo is accused of taking $1,241 worth of products including hair dryers and cologne from Ulta Beauty, 3818 Midway Road, Goshen; a cart full of alcohol and cologne totaling $1,249 from Meijer, 4522 Elkhart Road, Goshen; and pepper spraying employees at both stores who attempted to stop him.
Surveillance at both locations and Lowe’s during the day revealed a black Jeep found to be owned by the girlfriend of one of Martin’s friends, the woman told police, the probable cause affidavit shows.
Attorney Bridgette Faulkner said they’ve almost come to a resolution. The jury trial was continued from Jan. 6 to April 21, with a trial status conference scheduled for March 27, and a further proceedings date scheduled for Jan. 2.
ANGEL I. GARZA
A teen is being charged in adult court after allegedly robbing a gas station in Goshen.
Goshen police responded to a call for an armed robbery at AMCO Gas Station, 112 W. Pike St., Goshen, at 5:41 p.m. Nov. 15. The clerk told Goshen police two men entered the store with all black and face masks. One man went to the back of the store and began asking if she could help him. The other man, the police report reads, was standing at the end of the counter near the restrooms and she informed him the restrooms were out of order and told the other man that she could not leave the counter unattended.
The man at the counter walked to the back of the store with the other man and then returned to the counter where he, according to the affidavit, removed a firearm from his pocket and pointed it at the clerk, coming behind the counter and she retreated to the office, shutting and locking the door behind her. The man attempted to open the door but left the store when he was unable to open the door, the affidavit reads.
The clerk said she recognized the voice of the man at the back of the store as he visits frequently and offered police a description and provided surveillance footage.
The following day, a 14-year-old boy reported to police he’d been hanging out with a friend by Olympia Candy Kitchen, 136 N. Main St., when a group of children on bikes started to shoot BB guns at him, the affidavit reads. Police found the four boys accused and they were detained and found that two matched the description of the two from the the attempted robbery. Angel I. Garza, 16, was one of the two boys.
Garza had a pretrial conference on Thursday, and has a trial status conference scheduled for March 17 and a jury trial scheduled for April 7.
PAUL D. CADY
A man charged with auto theft, a Level 5 felony, had an initial hearing in Elkhart County Circuit Court on Thursday.
Police received a notification from the Flock camera system of a stolen vehicle at 10:10 p.m. Dec. 8, at Main Street and Prairie Street. Police attempted to stop the vehicle on Lusher Avenue near Francis Avenue and eventually stopped in the 2000 block of Francis Avenue.
The driver was identified as Paul Cady, 67, of Mishawaka, and told police he didn’t know the registered owner of the vehicle, but, according to the probable cause affidavit, he found it at Belle Tire on Cassopolis Street with the keys in the driver’s seat. He noted that the car was unlocked and decided that since he was homeless, the car would be warm and he would take it for a drive, the affidavit reads.
During his initial hearing, Cady was appointed a public defender and received upcoming dates. His jury trial is scheduled for April 21, with a trial conference scheduled for Jan. 16 and a pretrial conference scheduled for March 27.
DOUGLAS L.G. MORGAN
A man accused of burglarizing a bank in Elkhart pleaded guilty to the charge in Elkhart County Circuit Court on Thursday.
Police were called to First Source Bank, 1751 W. Lexington Ave., Elkhart, at 12:08 a.m. May 7 for a suspicious person.
On scene, a window of the bank had been smashed out and after they arrested Douglas L.G. Morgan, police searched the building, finding an opened can of partly eaten peaches in the breakroom and a toothbrush nearby, a probable cause affidavit reads. Police believed the peaches were taken from the breakroom because the cabinets were opened and had some canned goods in them.
The caller, a cleaner, told police she was getting ready to lock up after finishing her duties for the night, and had just set the alarm when the man approached her and told her to call an ambulance, according to the affidavit. The woman said she felt uneasy around the man, though, so she drove to the nearby gas station to make the call, and when she drove back to the back, the window smashed, and Morgan was inside, the affidavit reads.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16.
KEVIN L. UPHAM
A man charged with burglary after allegedly walking into his neighbor’s home unannounced and taking his wallet admitted that’s exactly what he did.
Police were called to a home in the 600 block of C.R. 3 in Elkhart at 5:28 p.m. Sept. 23 for a report of a burglary. A man reported he’d been sitting on the couch when their neighbor had walked in the front door, went into the kitchen, and took his wallet and its contents, and also an air-soft gun.
Through a surveillance camera in the kitchen, police were able to identify the man, who matched the description of someone shortly after attempting to use the man’s Discover Card at Walmart.
Later on, according to the probable cause affidavit, the man’s mother told police that the neighbor, Kevin L. Upham, had told her that he’d found an airsoft gun at the end of his driveway and sold it at Worldwide Jewelry & Pawn and that she found her son’s wallet in the yard missing the Discover Card. A surveillance camera at the pawnshop reportedly showed Upham there. His probation ankle monitor also reportedly showed him at Walmart at the same time the man declined the credit card transaction.
During Elkhart County Circuit Court on Thursday, Upham pleaded guilty to the Level 4 felony. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16.
JEREMY C. SHULT
A man charged with burglarizing a California Road home in January confirmed dates during Elkhart County Circuit Court Thursday.
Jeremy C. Shult, 36, is accused of burglarizing a home located at 2527 California Road at 11:36 a.m. Jan. 13. According to a probable cause affidavit, a youth placed a call to 911 indicating that Shult was inside the home, had multiple warrants and that the caller had gone outside where he was hiding behind a fence, later providing a statement affirming he did see Shult take items from the home.
Officers arrived and saw Shult exiting the home and after garnering backup and getting the youth to safety, they attempted to apprehend Shult, who fled by vehicle, disregarding traffic speed limits and control devices inside Elkhart city limits, officers said in the affidavit, before fleeing on foot.
While fleeing on foot, his gun, a loaded .22-caliber firearm, was seen being discarded into a bush on Kilbourn Street, the affidavit reads. Eventually, Shult was apprehended and officers determined that based on property located within the vehicle, the estimated value of the purses, jewelry, electronics, and other items taken from the home was valued at about $6,600.
Stult’s jury trial is scheduled for March 31, and his trial status conference for March 6.
TIMOTHY S. WARREN, TIMOTHY A. GIBSON, SAMUEL L. LAFOLLETTE
Three men accused of burglarizing an abandoned building in Elkhart appeared in court on Thursday.
Timothy S. Warren, Timothy A. Gibson, and Samuel L. Lafollette are accused.
Police were called to 2503 W. Mishawaka Road, Elkhart, on Nov. 14, after an AEP worker reported she heard banging coming from inside the building and the door was open but the building was supposed to be vacant.
The officer who arrived on scene went to the open door and waiting for back up, but noticed the door opened a little more and then began to close so he pulled it open and man who claimed to be Timothy Gibson standing in the doorway, the probable cause affidavit reads.
Warren told the officer that he worked there, and was cleaning up the building for Amit Shah, as an employee of his with Green Stream, and that the building was about to be condemned, the affidavit reads. The man also allegedly claimed he was with another man, Timothy Shay, and said he said they had a key.
The officer called for others inside the building to exit and the other man, later identified as Timothy Warren, 43, of Michigan, reportedly fled out the southern door and west toward Best Avenue where he was apprehended.
A vehicle registered to Samuel L. Lafollette was found in the building, the affidavit reads. Lafollette allegedly claimed he wasn’t even in the building or involved in any way, but that someone used his vehicle.
The property manager said no one had been granted permission inside the building, but confirmed that Shah owned the building, and Shah confirmed that Gibson worked for him but was fired and never had permission to be on the property, the affidavit reads.
Within the truck found inside the building, police found $3,000 in copper and $200 worth of fire extinguishers.
During a pretrial conference and bond hearing, public defender Matt Johnson said due to several heart complications and having issues with medications at the jail, Lafollette needs to get out and see his doctor. A resident of a senior living community, Johnson said that including his medical problems, Lafollette is not a flight risk.
The state argued that while he’s not a flight risk, Lafollette’s extensive criminal history makes him “a menace.”
Despite that, Christofeno said with his health problems, he was in favor of giving Lafollette a bond, $5,000 on both cases, the Level 5 and the Level 6, totaling $10,000 corporate surety.
Gibson and Warren also had pretrial conferences where dates were confirmed, however, Warren currently incarcerated at St. Joseph County Jail and could not appear.
Each of the three men is scheduled separately for a trial status conference March 13 and jury trial April 7.
JOSEPH A. MORRISON
A man accused of breaking into a home on North Shore Drive in Elkhart last year had a pretrial conference on Thursday, where he learned his bond would not be lowered.
A homeowner reported he’d been away between May 18-26, 2023, and when he returned home he found that his home had been entered his home by climbing through the garage window and forcing entry through a locked door into the kitchen.
Missing from the home was an N70 Nikon camera, clothing, and food items, a total loss of about $1,900. There was also clothing left in the master bedroom that did not belong to the homeowner.
Swabs of that clothing were taken for possible DNA evidence and analyzed by the Indiana State Police Lab.
The DNA allegedly matched that of Joseph A. Morrison. A trial status conference is scheduled for March 13, and jury trial for April 7.
GABRIALA PETERS
A teen associated with a robbery, assault and battery from an incident where three girls ran away from Bashor Children’s Home in October 2022 pleaded guilty in Elkhart County Circuit Court on Thursday.
According to police, Gabriala Peter, Nimaoni King, and another teen ran away from Bashor on Oct. 10, 2022. In the course of their escape, they allegedly assaulted a staff member and stole her building keys to escape.
Later that day, officers were advised of three young women running on properties near C.R. 30 and C.R. 15, and they were apprehended — although two of them attempted to resist law enforcement, police said. King was sentenced to 14 years in May 2023.
Peters pleaded guilty to Count 1, robbery resulting in bodily injury, a Level 3 felony; and Count 2, resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16.
Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.