Region crime roundup: Man accused of threatening officer, is one of three arrested after disturbance at Portage bar
A roundup of crime stories from throughout the Region during the past 24 hours.
PORTAGE — A Merrillville man was arrested early Saturday after he allegedly held his hand and finger in the configuration of a gun, pointed it at a police officer and threatened the officer.
Timothy R. Shelton, 24, of Merrillville, is facing one felony count of intimidation and misdemeanor counts of interfering with law enforcement, disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
He was one of three arrested early Saturday morning after a disturbance at a local bar, which began when two women were tossed from the bar for allegedly arguing with a bartender.
Tracee Davis, 27, of Griffith, is facing two charges of misdemeanor battery. Jameka Moore, 23, of Muncie, is facing misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct. She may also be facing battery charges.
Police were called to Sunset Lounge, 5844 U.S. 6, just before 1 a.m. Saturday for a physical disturbance.
According to police, the disturbance started when bouncers escorted Moore and Davis out of the bar. The two allegedly tried to get back in, and when a bouncer tried to stop him, Davis grabbed at his face, grabbed his glasses and threw them on the ground, breaking them. She also allegedly pulled a necklace from around his neck. When the bouncer took Davis to the ground, Moore allegedly attempted to push him away from Davis, according to the report.
Police took both women into custody and placed them in a police vehicle where, according to the report, they continued to yell and scream. By this time, according to police, a crowd had formed outside the bar.
Shelton, who was in the crowd, approached police and the vehicle and began yelling, allegedly holding his hand and finger in the configuration of a gun and threatening an officer while yelling threats.
All three were transported to Porter County Jail.
Recent arrests booked into Porter County Jail
CROWN POINT — A 16-year-old boy is charged as an adult with participating in the armed robbery Wednesday of a Whiting restaurant.
Jaden D. Melton was charged Friday in Lake Criminal Court with armed robbery, a level 3 felony. He entered a not guilty plea to the charge Monday and requested a public defender at his initial hearing, records state. He was in custody on a $40,000 surety bond.
Whiting police were dispatched about 5:45 p.m. for the armed robbery of Lapalma Restaurant, 2040 Indianapolis Blvd.
An employee told authorities two young males entered the restaurant armed with pistols and wearing bandannas on their faces. She said one of the robbers fired a gun into the ceiling and ordered her to put cash into a black-and-green backpack. The woman complied and the robbers fled with about $150.
A Hammond police officer reported two suspects matching the robbers' descriptions were running on a bike path near the former Federated Metals, records state.
Melton was found by officers hiding in the backyard of a residence in the 1300 block of 121st Street. He had $90 in cash in his pants pockets and was wearing a single black glove, records state. More clothing items were found after police searched the area.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested in the 2000 block of 121st Street. Police found $67 in his coat pocket and a red bandanna was found nearby, records state.
A .22 caliber pistol and a .38 caliber revolver were found on the bike trail near Federated Metals, records state.
Both boys were taken to Whiting Police Department. An officer said Melton yelled to his alleged accomplice at the station, “If you can hear me you better not (expletive) rat,” records state.
The 15-year-old boy admitted to robbing the restaurant in a statement to police, records state. He said he fired the .22 caliber handgun into the ceiling to make the cashier move faster.
He said Melton “insisted” on joining him during the robbery, records state.
Whiting police did not respond to an email Monday asking whether the 15-year-old boy was charged in the robbery.
Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
CROWN POINT — A woman allegedly had illicit substances in her system in March when she fatally struck a woman riding a mobility scooter in Merrillville.
Fatima A. Thomas was charged Friday in Lake Criminal Court with causing death while operating a motor vehicle with a schedule I or schedule II controlled substance in her blood, causing death when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and driving while suspended, all level 5 felonies.
Elizabeth Camplan, 82, was driving a scooter about 8:40 a.m. March 26 north in the 9200 block of Broadway when she was struck by a white 2003 Ford Escape driven by Thomas, court records state.
Camplan was thrown in the air, and her scooter was found lodged under Thomas' vehicle, which also struck the back of a pickup truck.
Camplan was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville.
Thomas, 49, of Gary, was transported to the same hospital, where her blood was drawn and sent to the Indiana State Department of Toxicology. A test indicated Thomas had the following substances in her blood: alprazolam, benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite), morphine, hydrocodone and THC (the active ingredient of marijuana).
Thomas was able to provide authorities prescriptions for the alprazolam and the opiates. She told authorities she was driving home from the courthouse when she hit Camplan with her vehicle.
Thomas had a warrant at the time of the crash for driving under the influence in Kentucky, court records state. In 2013, she was restricted to using a vehicle with an ignition interlock system after being convicted of the same offense, records state. Thomas did not have a valid Indiana driver's license at the time of the crash, records state.
Thomas remained wanted on a warrant Monday, records state. Her surety bond was $30,000.
Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
GARY — A 29-year-old Glen Park woman died Sunday night after she was struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run crash near Broadway and the Borman Expressway, police said.
Crystal D. Jones was taken by ambulance to Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus, where she died from blunt force trauma, according to the Lake County coroner's office and police.
Gary police responded about 8 p.m. to the 2900 block of Broadway for the crash, Cmdr. Jack Hamady said.
The crash occurred on Broadway, just south of Interstate 80/94, he said. The driver fled the scene.
The hit-and-run remained under investigation, Hamady said.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about what happened is asked to call Sgt. Michael Jackson at 219-881-7300, ext. 23056, or violent crimes detectives at 219-881-1210.
Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
INDIANAPOLIS — A Hobart man found guilty of murder for shooting and dismembering a business associate received a fair trial, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Thomas R. Smith, 67, was sentenced in April to 60 years in prison following his conviction by a Lake County jury for causing the death of David Krawczenia, 48, of Portage, at a Gary auto shop where Smith repaired vehicles that Krawczenia purchased and later resold.
According to court records, Smith shot Krawczenia on Nov. 1, 2014, and shoved Krawczenia's body in the trunk of a car to get out of paying about $16,000 he owed Krawczenia.
Krawczenia was found in the trunk of a different vehicle two weeks later at a Griffith apartment complex, absent Krawczenia's head and arms, records show.
In his appeal, Smith argued he should have been let off when his first trial ended in a mistrial after a witness inappropriately referenced a bail hearing.
Smith also claimed prosecutors presented insufficient evidence to sustain a murder conviction.
The appeals court rejected both of Smith's arguments in its 3-0 ruling.
In reviewing the records of the first trial, the judges determined the prosecution did nothing to provoke a mistrial, and Smith therefore was not subject to constitutionally prohibited double jeopardy, or being twice tried for the same crime.
Concerning sufficiency, the court found prosecutors adequately showed through crime scene evidence, telephone records and multiple witness statements that Smith shot Krawczenia and put his body in the vehicle that ultimately was found in Griffith.
"(There) was sufficient evidence to support a jury verdict that Smith killed Krawczenia," the appeals court said.
Smith still can ask the Indiana Supreme Court to consider overturning the trial and appellate court decisions.
VALPARAISO — Police are looking for a silver pickup truck involved in an accident early Sunday morning. The driver of the truck fled the scene.
According to an accident report, traffic was stopped for a train on southbound Calumet Avenue near Bush Street about 1:45 a.m. when the pickup truck struck the rear of a stopped red 2016 Subaru Impreza driven by a Valparaiso man. The Impreza was pushed into a gray 2007 Honda Civic.
According to witnesses, the driver of the pickup truck driver then put the vehicle in reverse and fled the scene north on Calumet Avenue.
There were no injuries, but both the Impreza and Civic received significant damage.
Police are asking if anyone has any information on the accident or the silver/gray pickup truck to contact them at 219-462-2135. The truck will likely have front end damage and red paint transfer.
Recent arrests booked into Porter County Jail
As featured on
A man who filed a federal lawsuit in April alleging he was attacked by a former Gary cop bec…
A man was being treated for gunshot wounds after a shooting Monday afternoon at a Hammond ap…
A Gary man was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison for repeatedly shooting another man wi…
