Tip leads to chase, suspect's arrest

PORTAGE | Portage police said they received a call at 11:23 p.m. Thursday that a male was entering several vehicles at Meridian Apartments on Evergreen Avenue.

Police said they arrived and saw someone matching the perpetrator's clothing description. Police said the suspect ran, but police followed him and saw him run inside his home at 6520 Evergreen Ave.

Police said the suspect's grandfather, James Pridmore, 58, who also lives at 6520 Evergreen Ave., tried to prevent officers from continuing the chase. Police arrested him on a charge of interfering with law enforcement.

Police said they found the male they were chasing, Andrew J. Proffer, 18, hiding in his locked bedroom. Police said he resisted being handcuffed, but was arrested on charges of theft, fleeing, resisting and underage drinking.

Police said he had been walking around, checking car doors and entering cars that were unlocked. Police said nothing was taken.

Man makes it easy for cop to arrest him

BURNS HARBOR | Porter County police Officer Jeremy Chavez said he was on U.S. 20, near Ind. 149, when a man pulled out in front of him from the Shift Change tavern parking lot. The officer said he had to brake and swerve to avoid a crash.

The officer said he stopped the man and saw signs of intoxication. When asked if he'd been drinking, the man told police, "Come on. You saw where I came from."

Police arrested the man, John Bentley, 50, of 212 Freedom Ave., Valparaiso, on a drunken driving charge.

BOONE TOWNSHIP

WEDNESDAY

Theft. County Road 900 South resident Nancy Allday reported a package worth $200 was stolen from her porch.

CENTER TOWNSHIP

THURSDAY

Theft. Police said $2,000 worth of copper wire belonging to NIPSCO was stolen from a locked trailer on north County Road 250 West.

CHESTERTON

WEDNESDAY

Suspicious circumstances. Union Avenue resident Teresa Kouvakas reported a $150 DirecTV dish disappeared from a pole.

Vandalism. Joanne Paniaguas reported someone damaged the plastic around the air conditioning and stuffed wood inside a door lock at her duplex on Lahayne Road.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP

WEDNESDAY

Burglary. Canterbury Circle resident Veronica Gonzalez reported $50 worth of videotapes stolen from her garage.

PORTAGE

WEDNESDAY

Theft. Sunrise Avenue resident Twilla Costley reported the theft of $485 worth of tools.

Theft. Lakeshore Drive resident Mark Garzella reported an iPod and other items stolen from his vehicle, a $280 loss.

Theft. Lakeshore Drive resident Dana Shafer reported $2,350 worth of items stolen from his vehicle, including tools, compact discs and headphones.

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP

WEDNESDAY

Theft. County Road 875 North resident Diana Cook reported $100 worth of metal items stolen from her yard, including brass weights, aluminum saw horses, an aluminum ladder, aluminum ramp stands, jack stands and brass table legs.

SOUTH HAVEN

THURSDAY

Residential entry. Michael Cloud, 43, of 381 Stonehill Drive, was arrested on a residential entry charge after being accused of entering a home on Capitol Road without permission. Police reports state Cloud has been told he's not welcome at the home.

VALPARAISO

WEDNESDAY

Theft. Crockett Avenue resident Larry Macy reported $2 worth of coins and a $5 lottery ticket stolen from his truck.

Theft. Valparaiso resident David Kreps reported he lost his wallet at Town & Country Market in Valparaiso. A man returned it, but it was missing $150. The man told Kreps he saw a woman throw the wallet on the ground and drive away from the store.

ARRESTS

APRIL 24 THROUGH FRIDAY

Battery | Dakota Pritchett, 18, 119 Scarborough Court, Chesterton; Joseph Bennett, 27, 6 South St., Valparaiso

Check fraud, theft | Emily Doles, 28, 415 W. 600 North, Valparaiso

Criminal mischief | Gregory Matheny, 20, 1891 Truman, Portage

Driving while suspended | Daryl Gifford, 19, 1710 Vale Park Road, Valparaiso; Justin Livengood, 23, Westville

Drunken driving | Paul Hernandez, 34, Munster; Glenn Moore, 49, Crown Point; Christopher Ausra, 28, Niles, Mich.; John Bentley, 50, 212 Freedom Ave., Valparaiso; Alexander Mason Jr., 21, 362 Taylor Lane, Valparaiso

Drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident | Danguole Zeluine, 52, 24 Circle Drive, Chesterton

Failure to appear | Sharon Creech, 38, Lake Station; Mendie Talley, 34, 903 W. Daumer Road, Kouts; Kenneth Michaels, 32, 2093 Willowcreek Road, Portage; Virgil Chase, 33, 2795 Edgewood St., Portage; Sarah Dennie, 27, 785 Juniper Road, Valparaiso; Calvin Hamilton, 33, 1413 Camelot Manor, Portage; Gregory Nance, 37, 382 W. 550 North, Valparaiso

Failure to comply | Brittney Koebcke, 19, Hammond

False reporting | Rozlyn Gonzalez, 28, 3267 Swanson, Portage

Habitual traffic offender | Jeremy Jovanovic, 35, 402 Beacon Lane, Valparaiso

Weapons charge, carrying a handgun without a permit | Christopher Bernard, 24, Chicago

Identity deception | Kelly Twardosz, 39, 785 Juniper Road, Valparaiso

Interfering with police | James Pridmore, 58, 6520 Evergreen, Portage

Intimidation, public intoxication, disorderly conduct | David Muzik, 36, 323 Aspen St., Hebron

Invasion of privacy | Dimo Dimov, 38, 2848 Richard, Portage; Samuel Cunningham, 37, 854 Camelot Manor, Portage; Jane Luchowski, 56, South Bend

Maintaining a common nuisance, possession of marijuana, drunken driving | Shawn Durr, 24, 5381 Stagecoach Road, Portage

Possession of marijuana | John Fornari, 24, 1974 Greentree, Portage

Residential entry | Michael Cloud, 43, 381 Stone Hill, Valparaiso

Strangulation, battery | Eugene Riffle Jr., 49, 5719 Kingman, Portage

Strangulation, battery, intimidation | Joshua Powell, 28, Ludington, Mich.

Strangulation, residential entry, battery, criminal mischief | Christopher Hanrath, 24, 508 N. Morgan, Valparaiso

Theft | Terry Dumigan, 40, 5091 Central, Portage; Melissa Merryman, 26, 505 Freeman St., Valparaiso; Michelle Clark, 29, Merrillville

Theft, disorderly conduct | William White, 51, 1625 Westchester Ave., Chesterton

Theft, resisting law enforcement, public intoxication, disorderly conduct | Erick Whitten, 51, Griffith; Nancy Williams, 46, Griffith

Theft, resisting law enforcement, alcohol charge, public intoxication | Andrew Proffer IV, 18, 6520 Evergreen, Portage

Visiting a common nuisance | Amanda Robards, 22, 6908 Roosevelt, Portage

Visiting a common nuisance, alcohol charge | Justin Austin, 20, 6908 Roosevelt, Portage