Appeals court affirms 14 years for Porter County restaurant burglar

INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 Wednesday that 14 years is an appropriate prison sentence for a South Haven man who burglarized two Porter County restaurants in November 2009.

Joe Songer Jr., 25, was sentenced in December 2010 to two consecutive seven-year prison terms for breaking into Mike's Premier Grill in Valparaiso and the Roadhouse Bar & Grill in Liberty Township. He stole two televisions, about $5,500 cash, a handgun, a computer and about two dozen bottles of liquor.

He asked the appeals court to reduce his sentence because the two burglaries were nearly part of the same criminal act, were committed when no one was in the restaurants and did little damage to the buildings.

The appeals court rejected each of Songer's arguments. The burglaries took place two weeks apart, and Songer couldn't have known no one would be in the restaurants, the court said. He also damaged electric meters, broke a window and cut utility lines during the burglaries, the court said.

Judge Paul Mathias, writing for the appeals court, said the fact that Songer was on parole for robbery when he burglarized the two restaurants, repeatedly violated jail rules while awaiting trial and has a lengthy juvenile record also weighed against any sentence reduction.