Cops say 8 drinkers at a party underage
PORTER TOWNSHIP | Porter County officers responded to a report of a disturbance involving a handgun at an underage drinking party at 12:13 a.m. Saturday at 1816 Forest Lane, police said.
The caller told police she was inside the party when Diana Drca, 20, who has addresses in Chicago and Hobart, approached and started an argument over a boyfriend. She stated Drca struck her and pulled out her hairpiece. She also accused Drca of displaying a gun and making a threat. Drca, however, said there was no gun and that she and the other person were in a mutual fight.
A person at the home, Joseph Luttinen, 22, of Hobart, was arrested on a warrant. Drca and seven others were arrested on underage drinking charges. The others are Amanda Poya, 20, who has addresses in Merrillville and Schererville; Aaron Swelfer, 18, of Hebron; Megan Markovich, 18, of Hobart; Kara Morton, 18, of Hobart; Kristie Hernandez, 19, of Schererville; Amanda Akinczyk, 18, of Hobart; and Colin Sandbach, 18, of Merrillville.
U-turn leads police to make an arrest
PORTAGE TOWNSHIP | Porter County police said they stopped a man because he pulled an illegal U-turn at 3:37 p.m. Saturday at U.S. 6 and Ind. 149.
Police said the man gave false information, then was found to be wanted on a warrant and driving with a suspended license. Stanley Ballard, 52, of Florida, who has been living in Valparaiso, was arrested on the warrant and charges of false informing and driving while suspended.
Police said he's a sex offender and could face another charge for failing to register as living at 76 E. U.S. 6, No. 63A in Valparaiso.
Parents questioned about roaming child
CHESTERTON | Chesterton police responded to Broadway and 18th Street shortly after 11 a.m. Friday after a small child was seen riding his tricycle in traffic.
Police and citizens canvassed the neighborhood and discovered the child lived at a home on 18th Street. The father told police his wife should have been at home with the child. Police later spoke to the mother and she stated she was called into work, but told her husband. She told police he was groggy and may have fallen back asleep.
She told police it won't happen again. The police report is being forwarded to Child Protective Services.
Woman accused of again driving drunk
CHESTERTON | Chesterton police said a woman who was wanted in connection with a prior drunken driving charge committed a new drunken driving offense at 4 a.m. Sunday.
Police said Lisa Pulaski, 42, of Valparaiso, got into a minor crash at a restaurant on Plaza Drive, then urinated in the parking lot. Police arrested her on charges of drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to appear in court on a drunken driving charge.
BOONE TOWNSHIP
SATURDAY
Theft. Kouts resident Krystal Lee told police her boyfriend's $5,000 all-terrain vehicle was stolen after it broke down in a field east of Ind. 231 and County Line Road.
CHESTERTON
WEDNESDAY
Vandalism. West Porter Avenue resident Suzanne Clemens told police someone egged her car.
THURSDAY
Theft. Ivy Street resident Lloyd Kittredge reported $50 damage to a landscaping item.
Theft. Broadway resident Jesse Meador reported a $10 bicycle stolen from his apartment foyer.
SATURDAY
Theft. West Morgan Avenue resident Lee Lyons reported the theft of her $80 grill.
Theft. West Morgan Avenue resident Michelle Ashbly reported $60 worth of lawn chairs stolen from behind her home.
Burglary. Brown Street resident Henry Gentry reported someone caused $50 damage during a break-in at his home. Nothing was taken because Gentry's dogs scared off the person, police said.
Burglary. Annabelle Court resident Nanette Wood reported someone stole from her apartment a $1,400 television, a $400 surround-sound system and two video game systems worth $480 total.
SUNDAY
Theft. Chesterton resident Patricia Stanberry reported golf clubs and a laptop computer stolen from her van, possibly at Jewel on Indian Boundary Road. The loss is $3,325.
Theft. Porter resident Andrew Mahaffey reported a $350 bicycle stolen from T&T Gaming, 209 Broadway in Chesterton.
MONDAY
Vandalism. Someone spray-painted a sign at Pearson Road and the bicycle trail, police said.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP
FRIDAY
Theft. North County Road 200 West resident David Bradley reported the theft of his yellow and black custom racing bicycle from his shed. The loss is $2,000.
SATURDAY
Theft. North County Road 50 West resident Carole Gallegos reported someone broke into her vehicle and stole $450 worth of compact discs and $5 worth of medicine.
PORTAGE
SATURDAY
Burglary. Camelot resident Elizabeth Potter reported someone burglarized her home, taking a $30 DVD player, a $149 Playstation II, $300 worth of Playstation games and $1,000 worth of DVDs.
Theft. Portage resident Mike Rasco reported someone damaged his car while it was on Marina Drive and stole a $200 camera and a $400 Global Positioning System.
SUNDAY
Arrest. Andrew Kapcia, 45, of 6381 Meadowridge, Portage, was arrested on charges of battery, battery to law enforcement and resisting after a disturbance at 12:26 a.m. Sunday at his home.
SOUTH HAVEN
SUNDAY
Burglary. Devonshire Road resident David Kerlin reported $3,000 cash stolen from his home.
VALPARAISO
SATURDAY
Vehicle theft. Park Avenue resident John Rooney reported the theft of a $3,600 Ford Explorer, $500 worth of tools and a checkbook.
ARRESTS
Thursday to Monday
Alcohol charge | Aaron Swelfer, 18, 629 W. County Road 50 South, Hebron; Colin Sandbach, 18, Merrillville; Diana Drca, 20, Chicago; Megan Markovich, 18, Hobart; Kara Morton, 18, Hobart; Amanda Akinczyk, 18, Hobart; Kristie Hernandez, 19, Schererville; Amanda Poya, 20, Merrillville
Battery | Bradlee Daus, 32, 2420 Chestnut, Portage; Shelly Razus, 32, 6458 Monument, Portage
Battery, resisting law enforcement | Andrzej Kapcia, 45, 6381 Meadowridge, Portage
Battery, strangulation | Brian Mahoney, 48, 312 W. Lincoln Ave., Chesterton
Criminal recklessness, reckless driving, disorderly conduct | Richard Kutz, 48, 265 Kingston Drive, Valparaiso
Disorderly conduct | Wanda Thomas, 41, 6826 Rio Grande, Portage
Driving while suspended | Jeffery Sipes, 31, LaPorte; Susana Villatoro, 26, 2910 Gleneagles Blvd., Valparaiso; Daniel Pryzybyl II, 34, 810 Yellowstone Road, Valparaiso; Robert Smith, 31, 452 S. Locust St., Valparaiso; Matthew Westphal, 25, 200 Chief Circle, Chesterton
Drug paraphernalia, drunken driving, alcohol charge | Drew Ramsey, 20, 5945 Waterside, Portage
Drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana | Edward Reed, 39, 1887 Tonia, Portage
Drunken driving | George Dolph, 30, 6785 Mercedes, Portage; Christopher Spencer, 27, 612 Oswego, Valparaiso; Kenneth Hathaway, 65, Griffith; Rodney Thomas, 42, 6826 Rio Grande, Portage; Jerry Kaenrath, 24, 627 S. County Road 150 West, Kouts; Lee Kobos, 23, 380 E. County Road 1400 North, Chesterton; John Szykowny, 45, Burbank, Ill.; Vincenzina Gentleman, 45, 604 W. Jackson, Hebron; Joseph Rooker, 51, 692 Harvest Road, Valparaiso; Kristina Indrysek, 28, 1929 Hamilton, Portage
Drunken driving, leaving the scene | Robert Pavich, 31, Crown Point
Drunken driving, leaving the scene, hold | Lisa Pulaski, 42, 430 E. County Road 725 North, Valparaiso
Failure to appear | Jody Gursky, 20, Gary; Santa Hernandez, 22, Gary
Failure to comply | Tracey Castilleja, 35, 6031 Canden Ave., Portage; Joseph Luttinen, 22, Hobart
Failure to register as a sex offender | Kyle Fraher, 24, 342 W. County Road 400 North, Valparaiso; J.R. Clemons Jr., 37, 6420 Evergreen, Portage
False reporting, hold | Stanley Ballard, 52, Jacksonville, Fla.
Identity deception, hold | Joshua Richie, 31, Merrillville
Intimidation, criminal mischief | Michael Izeta, 22, 3043 Mallory, Portage
Invasion of privacy | Charles Dills, 28, 1350 Camelot Manor, Portage; Daniel Barnes, 23, Hobart
Invasion of privacy, aiding in a burglary | Andrew Clay, 21, 6515 Lakewood Ave., Portage
Leaving the scene of an accident | Jerome Uskert, 58, 21 N. County Road 675 West, Valparaiso
Maintaining a common nuisance, drug paraphernalia | James Hallstrom, 52, LaPorte
Operating while being a habitual traffic violator | Veronica Appelman, 49, 2014 Washington Ave., Chesterton; Debra Williams, 29, Union Mills; Roger Story Jr., 26, Merrillville
Possession of a controlled substance | Ronald Walters, 42, Michigan City; Arthur Stueber Jr., 19, 210 Woodlawn Ave., Porter
Public intoxication | Elizabeth Hirsh, 41, 3507 Timberridge Drive, Valparaiso; Sean Mallonee, 24, St. Louis, Mo.; George Wagner, 27, 374 W. County Road 550 North, Valparaiso
Residential entry | James Dewitt, 58, 3133 May, Portage
Resisting law enforcement, public intoxication, alcohol charge, identity deception | Matthew Lankford, 20, Hobart
Strangulation, criminal confinement, resisting law enforcement, interference with reporting a crime, criminal mischief, battery, disorderly conduct | Carl Blount, 19, 5270 Mulberry, Portage
Theft | John Hoffman, 50, 530 Jefferson Ave., Chesterton
Theft, possession of marijuana | Michelle Sardina, 40, 1710 Vale Park Road, Valparaiso
Weapons charge, alcohol charge | Steven Wroblewski, 18, 217 Danielle Drive, Chesterton
