Suspected rock throwers also face Putnam charges

Friday, June 10, 2016
Jonathan Koeling

Already facing 38 charges for similar crimes allegedly committed in their home county, two Owen County men each face four more felony counts for rock throwing incidents in southern Putnam County.

Travis J. Lester, 23, and Johnathan J. Koeling, 25, both of Freedom, face four counts each of criminal recklessness, Level 6 felonies.

Each Level 6 felony carries a sentencing range of 6-30 months in the Department of Correction.

The charges filed so far relate to a pair of incidents investigated by the Cloverdale Police Department. Putnam County Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter reports that further charges are likely to spring from five more incidents still being investigated by the Indiana State Police and Putnam County Sheriff's Department.

All of this pales in comparison to the charges Lester and Koeling already face in Owen County, where each man faces 19 counts of Level 6 felony criminal recklessness and 19 counts of Class B misdemeanor criminal mischief.

In addition to the Level 6 felonies, each Class B misdemeanor charge carries a sentencing range of up to 180 days in jail.

The Owen County charges were filed on May 18, with Lester and Koeling now facing a Sept. 28 jury trial in Owen Circuit Court.

Travis Lester

Both man are currently free on bond in their Owen County cases, but Putnam County arrest warrants have been issued.

The first round Putnam County charges spring from an investigation by Cloverdale Police Officer David Brown.

On May 17, Brown investigated a pair of incidents in which the windshields of cars were struck by rocks while northbound on U.S. 231.

In one incident, a woman was turning northbound from State Road 42. In the other, a woman was northbound between County Road 1300 South and County Road 1200 South.

One of the women reported to Brown that she was worried about glass in her throat from the broken windshield.

In the course of his investigation, Brown worked with Owen County deputies who were investigating similar incidents.

He learned later that evening that Lester and Koeling were in custody at the Owen Security Center and had admitted to throwing objects from their vehicle while driving on U.S. 231 between U.S. 40 in Putnam County and State Road 67 in Owen County.

The two suspects advised they had thrown between 50 and 100 rocks at northbound traffic during the last week.

They advised that they both worked in a Greencastle factory and collected large stones from various locations which they used to damage the oncoming traffic.

The break in the case came on May 17 when Owen County Sheriff Sam Hobbs was driving his personal vehicle northbound on U.S. 231 when it was struck by a rock thrown by the driver of a southbound vehicle.

Sheriff Hobbs called out a description of the suspect vehicle and deputies subsequently intercepted it, ultimately stopping the suspects at the intersection of U.S. 231 and State Road 67.

The duo was detained then questioned at the Owen Security Center.

A Putnam County court date will be set after the men are arrested.

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  • Dumb and Dumber

    -- Posted by taylortwp on Fri, Jun 10, 2016, at 9:47 AM
  • THROW THE BOOK AT THEM,THEY HAVE A VERY BAD CASE OF THE STUPIDS!

    -- Posted by becker on Fri, Jun 10, 2016, at 2:48 PM
  • Forget the BOOK, THROW ROCKS at them! MAJOR case of the stupids!!!!

    -- Posted by bassett67 on Fri, Jun 10, 2016, at 3:52 PM
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