Putnam Scanner for Feb. 1, 2022

County Jail

Eight people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently.

Monday

• At 6:04 a.m. Justin L. Jett, 43, Greencastle, was lodged at the jail for intimidation.

Sunday

• At 10:15 a.m. John D. Patrick, 27, Brazil, was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine.

• At 12:47 a.m. Tim R. West, 42, Coatesville, was booked in for driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated endangering a person.

Saturday

• At 10:25 p.m. Tricia K. Gibson, 46, Greencastle, was lodged at the jail for check fraud.

• At 8:19 p.m. Matthew L. Kuchler, 51, Fillmore, was taken into custody for criminal mischief and invasion of privacy.

• At 4:57 p.m. Cheri K. Perrella, 54, Greencastle, was housed at the jail for disorderly conduct.

Friday

• At 11:39 a.m. Jonathan A. Matt, 42, Coatesville, was booked in for auto theft, unlawful possession of a syringe and fraud.

Thursday

• At 6:55 p.m. Delilah M Willard, 35, Russellville, was lodged at the jail for motor vehicle theft and driving with an ACE of .15 or more.

City Police

One weekend arrest was reported by Greencastle City Police officers.

• At 3:49 a.m. Sunday, Ashley Peters, 23, Greencastle, was arrested by Officer Luke Brown and lodged in the Putnam County Jail.

Taken into custody at an East Seminary Street residence, Peters was arrested on charges of domestic battery and disorderly conduct.

One weekend traffic citation was also issued by city officers.

• At 9:09 p.m. Saturday, Duy Nguyen, 48, Greencastle, was ticketed for speeding by Officer Seth Doty.

Stopped along Veterans Memorial Highway, Nguyen was cited for 58 mph in a 40-mph zone.

Sheriff’s Office

Putnam County sheriff’s deputies investigated a number of recent property-damage crashes.

• At 6:55 p.m. on Friday, Jerome D. Kaste, 35, Reelsville, was westbound on County Road 1050 South in a 2006 Dodge Dakota.

As Kaste approached a hillcrest, he lost control of the pickup on the road packed with snow and ice. The pickup left the road and hit a mailbox and utility pole, which broke off at the base and fell to the ground. Power lines were on the ground.

Kaste was not injured.

The truck was towed. Deputy Todd Hopkins estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 6:50 p.m. on Friday, David L. Hall, 57, Reelsville, was westbound on U.S. 40 in a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan when he hit a deer.

Deputy Hopkins estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 12:55 p.m. on Friday, Gunnar Gallaher, 30, Paragon, was stopped northbound on U.S. 231 at Stardust Road in a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu.

Gallaher told Deputy Tanner Brown he got the green light and was just starting to accelerate when his car was struck in the rear.

Lita Sandy, 68, Cloverdale, was northbound in a 2017 Chevrolet Trax. She told Brown she could not stop due to the snow on the road.

Sandy was cited for speed too fast for conditions.

Brown estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Bradley Randolph, 55, Rosedale, was eastbound on U.S. 36 in a 2021 GMC Acadia when he hit a deer.

Deputy Brown estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 4:29 a.m. on Friday, Matthew J. Rogers, 17, Cloverdale, was southbound on County Road 25 East in a 1995 Ford F-150 when he lost control and hit a utility pole on the east side of the road.

The impact broke the pole, causing utility lines to fall in the road.

Reserve Deputy Joe Tesmer noted that the road was covered in snow and slush. Rogers told him he was driving “way too fast” for conditions.

Tesmer estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 2:12 a.m. on Friday, Eddie Samsel, 63, Cloverdale, was traveling southeast on Stardust Way in a 2008 Dodge Ram. Mayon Konijeti, 20, NewAlbany, was traveling northwest in a 2016 Toyota 4Runner.

Konijeti told Deputy Brown that as he came around a turn, the vehicle started sliding to the left on the slick roadway. He tried braking but slid into Samsel’s path and could not avoid the collision.

Samsel said the other vehicle slid into his path and although he turned right to avoid contact, they collided.

Brown estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, Abbie J. Davis, 38, Indianapolis, was northbound on State Road 243 in a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt.

Davis told Deputy Joshua Clark she saw brake lights on the vehicle in front of her and applied her own brakes. At this, she lost control on the road, which was wet from snow, and slid off the east side of the road and rolled over.

The vehicle came to a stop on its wheels in the treeline.

The car was towed. Clark estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 4:20 a.m. on Wednesday, Nicholas Dickerson, 24, Clinton, was westbound on U.S. 36 in Groveland in a 2012 Ford Focus. Catherine T. Geanon, 29, Indianapolis, was eastbound in a 2016 Honda CR-V.

Dickerson told Deputy Matthew Biggs he was attempting to turn into the Groveland BP station and did not see the other vehicle, turning in front of it and causing a head-on collision.

Geanon told Biggs she was eastbound when the other vehicle abruptly turned left and she could not avoid the collision.

After the collision, Dickerson’s vehicle continued off the road, where it collided with the BP sign.

Dickerson suffered facial lacerations and was checked out by Putnam County EMS, but refused treatment.

Both vehicles were towed. Biggs estimated damage at $25,000-$50,000.

• At 7:59 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25, Morgan B. Mundy, 24, Greencastle, was westbound on U.S. 40 in a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu when she hit a deer.

Deputy Josh Deal estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 1:44 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25, Timothy Mendenhall, 58, Brazil, was northbound on Manhattan Road in a 1997 Ford Ranger.

As he was negotiating a 90-degree turn, Mendenhall’s tires went off the road into gravel, causing him to lose control.

He then steered into the oncoming lane of traffic, overcorrected and ran off the east side of the road and began to roll onto its side, where it struck a tree in the windshield area.

The pickup came to rest on its right side.

The vehicle was towed. Cpl. Scott Ducker estimated damage at $2,500-$5,000.

• At 11:50 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 24, James L. Jones, 30, Greencastle, was traveling on West Walnut in a 2017 Audi S8.

Jones told Deputy Deal a deer ran in front of his vehicle and he attempted to avoid the animal, leaving the road and hitting a sign and a few trees. The vehicle suffered extensive damage and had to be towed.

Jones was taken to Putnam County Hospital for evaluation and later booked in the Putnam County Jail for driving while intoxicated.

Deal estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 2:06 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 24, Jeffrey W. Crowley, 58, Centerpoint, was westbound on State Road 240 near County Road 550 East in a 2000 Kenworth T800 dump truck.

Crowley told Cpl. Brian Helmer he lost control and ran off the road. He said he attempted to hit the brakes as the truck started to leave the road and instead hit the accelerator. The truck then hit a mailbox and a utility pole, snapping the pole.

The vehicle was driven from the scene.

Helmer estimated damage at $10,000-$25,000.

City Fire

Greencastle firefighters responded to a number of recent dispatches.

• At 9:16 p.m. on Friday, GFD was called for the smell of gas at 1260 S. Jackson St. Crews arrived at 9:22 p.m. to find LP gas was leaking out of a valve and onto the ground from one of the large tanks located just south of 3G Bowl. Firefighters monitored the situation until the owner arrived to open the gate and turn off the valve to stop the leak. Firefighters left the scene at 9:34 p.m.

• At 12:03 p.m. on Saturday, firefighters responded to a possible gas leak at 12 Highland St. They arrived at 12:06 to the smell of natural gas in the residence. The occupants had already shut off the gas and no leak was found. Crews left the scene at 12:19 p.m.

• At 10:21 p.m. on Saturday, crews were called to a fire alarm at 303 S. Locust St. They arrived at 10:25 p.m., finding the alarm was on the third-floor hallway and had activated due to a candle. GFD reset the alarm and left at 10:34 p.m.

• At 7:06 a.m. GFD investigated the odor of a possible hazardous material at 1118 Avenue B. Arriving at 7:10 p.m., firefighters used a meter to monitor the inside and outside of the house. Finding no issues, they left the scene at 7:16 p.m.

• At 9:33 p.m. on Sunday, firefighters were called for a carbon monoxide investigation at 2984 W. CR 100 South. Arriving at 9:38 p.m., they monitored the house and found no problem, leaving at 9:49 p.m.

Firefighters also responded to 12 medical dispatches.

Information included in the Putnam Scanner is taken from reports provided to the Banner Graphic by the Greencastle Police, the Greencastle Fire and the Putnam County Sheriff’s departments.

Individuals listed in the blotter have been arrested on probable cause and have not been formally charged. Charging information may change after an initial arrest.

Questions about listed charging information should be directed to the arresting agency.