Putnam Scanner for Jan. 16, 2008

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Putnam County Jail

Eleven people were booked into the Putnam County Jail recently.

* Michael Dane Bastin, 35, Greencastle, was booked in at 10:44 p.m. Sunday for public intoxication and violation of probation. He was arrested by Greencastle Officer Jeff Modlin.

* Thomas Isaac Bixler, 19, Quincy, was booked in at 11:55 a.m. Monday for harassment. He was arrested by Investigator Charles Bollinger. He was released at 2:52 p.m. Tuesday.

* Gregory Eugene Howard, 31, Coatesville, was booked in at 1:11 p.m. Monday for vicarious sexual gratification and child molesting. He was arrested by Trooper Chris Harcourt.

* Jodi Carter, 19, Cloverdale, was booked in at 2:07 p.m. Monday for driving while suspended and reckless driving. She was arrested at PCJ. She was released at 2:44 p.m. Tuesday.

* Jamie Marie Wood-Smith, 28, Spencer, was booked in at 4:03 p.m. Monday for check deception. She was arrested at PCJ.

* Eric Melvin McCullough, 23, Indianapolis, was booked in at 7:13 p.m. Monday on a petition to revoke probation. He was arrested at PCJ.

* Matthew Lee Gist, 24, Cloverdale, was booked in at 1:10 a.m. Tuesday on a petition to revoke probation and an out-of-county hold. He was arrested by Sgt. Tom Helmer.

* Jared Lee Gilbert, 23, Indianapolis, was booked in at 12:51 p.m. Tuesday for trespass and theft. He was arrested by Lt. Danny Wallace.

* David S. Clarke, 25, Fishers, was booked in at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday on an out-of-county hold. He was arrested at PCJ.

*Tembani Masunungure, 32, Indianapolis, was booked in at 1:46 p.m. Tuesday on an out-of-county hold. He was arrested at PCJ.

* Thomas Skene, 55, Cloverdale, was booked in at 2:12 p.m. Tuesday for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, dealing in altered property, dealing in methamphetamine and receiving stolen property. He was arrested by State Trooper Dan Hearon.

Sheriff's Dept.

The theft of a car from a driveway is being investigated by the Putnam County Sheriff's Dept.

Lt. Danny Wallace reported that Heather R. Allen, 24, 152 South St., Cloverdale, said she parked her car sometime after 8 p.m. When she got up at 5:50 a.m, the vehicle was gone.

Wallace discovered that the car's key was left in the ignition because the ignition was malfunctioning and the key would not come out of it.

The car is described as a silver 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix with In God We Trust license plate WD894.

Anyone who sees the vehicle is asked to notify police at 653-5115.

Meanwhile, an Indianapolis man faces charges of theft and trespass for taking scrap metal from a Fillmore area farm Tuesday.

Jared Lee Gilbert, 23, Indianapolis, was arrested after he was found at the property of Frank Schafer with four other suspects.

Schafer, 68, told Lt. Danny Wallace of the Putnam County Sheriff's Dept. that he had not given anyone permission to be on or take anything from the property.

Gilbert said he had permission from a farmer who he saw on a John Deere tractor back in August to remove all the metal from the property. On Tuesday, he said he brought along his boss, Ford Gray, and fellow employees from a roofing company in Indianapolis to help remove the metal.

Gray told Lt. Wallace that one truckload of metal had already left the property and had been sold. Gray then paid Schafer in cash the amount the metal had sold for.

Gilbert was taken to Putnam County Jail, and the other four suspects with him were released.

Wallace was assisted at the scene by officers from the sheriff's department and Indiana State Police.

Several accidents were investigated by the Putnam County Sheriff's Dept. recently.

* At 5:25 a.m. Monday, a car hit a guardrail on U.S. 40 in Putnamville.

Deputy Dwight Simmons reported that Patty J. Schlehuser, 50, Putnamville, was driving east when she lost control of her 1998 Pontiac. The car slid across the road and hit the guardrail head on.

Damage was estimated at $2,500-$5,000.

* At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, a car hit a deer on U.S. 231 near U.S. 40.

Sgt. Tom Helmer reported that Ronald Chadd, 62, Waveland, was driving south in a 2006 Impala when the deer ran into the road and hit the car.

Damage was estimated at $2,500-$5,000.

* At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, a man was thrown off his motorcycle at CR 125 South on CR 500 West.

Lt. Doug Nally reported that Michael A. Owens Jr., 24, 4374 W. CR 125 South, Greencastle, was driving west in a 1987 Honda motorcycle when he topped a hill and the vehicle left the road and went into a muddy ditch. Owens was knocked off the vehicle and landed in the field.

He was arrested at the scene for driving while intoxicated. He was not injured.

Damage was estimated at $1,000-$2,500.

* At 4:25 p.m. Saturday, a car hit a guardrail on U.S. 40 near CR 725 East and the driver was hospitalized.

Lt. Danny Wallace reported that Mary L. Black, 37, Casey, Ill., was driving west in a 1994 Toyota Corolla when a Chevrolet Trailblazer swerved from the left lane to the right lane.

Black swerved to miss the vehicle and her car struck the end of the guardrail. It destroyed about 30 feet of guardrail before coming to rest in the median.

Black was taken to Putnam County Hospital via ambulance, and was later airlifted to Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis. She was trapped in the vehicle.

Damage was estimated at $10,000-$25,000.

City Police

Sgt. Charles Inman Jr. of the Greencastle Police Department issued two tickets recently:

* Jerry Gibson, 47, Cloverdale, was cited for a driver's license restriction violation on Indianapolis Road at 9:45 p.m. Jan. 12.

* Luciano Dominguez, 22, Indianapolis, was cited for no operator's license and operating a vehicle without financial responsibility on Indianapolis Road at 9:55 p.m. Jan. 13.

Meanwhile, the department also investigated the following accidents:

* At 5:24 p.m. Jan. 11, Officer Christopher Helmer reported that Joyce Smithers, Greencastle, operating a 2007 Chevrolet Impala, was struck from behind by Harold Zimmerman, Greencastle, operating a 1995 GMC Sierra, at the intersection of Ind. 240 and Indianapolis Road. Zimmerman advised that he looked down, and when he looked back up, he could not stop in time to avoid the collision.

Damage was estimated at $5,000-10,000.

* At 9:24 a.m. Jan. 14, Captain Michael Hanlon reported that Ryan Coffman, Terre Haute, operating a 1997 Ford ambulance, was making a left turn on a downgrade in a parking lot and slid into three unattended vehicles, a 2003 Honda Accord registered to Barbara Cress, Terre Haute, a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer, registered to Todd and Libby Receveur, Poland, and a 1989 Pontiac Sunbird, registered to Crystal Maupin, at 1109 South Indiana Street.

Damage was estimated at $5,000-10,000.

* At 3 p.m. Jan. 14, Officer Darrel Bunten reported that Griffen Moore, Greencastle, operating a 1992 Honda, slid in the parking lot at Greencastle High School, striking a concrete light pole and colliding with a parked truck owned by Samantha Sillery (no information on Sillery vehicle).

Damage was estimated at $2,500-5,000.