Jennings County deputies arrested a man for rape after a nearly four-month investigation.
23-year-old Mark Liles was arrested Wednesday on a felony warrant alleging rape.
According to police reports, deputies received a report in October that Liles had picked a girl up from her home, taken her to a cabin in Sand Creek Township and made unwanted sexual advances after being told to stop.
A report of a suspicious vehicle in a downtown alley led Columbus police to arrest a driver on drug-related charges yesterday morning.
Columbus police are reporting that they received the report of a suspicious vehicle at about 12:25 a.m. Thursday and shortly afterwards found a vehicle matching that description near 11th and Washington streets.
They pulled over the driver, 43-year-old Allen W. Tidwell of Hope after seeing a minor traffic violation, according to police reports. Tidwell did not have a driver’s license after a lifetime suspension for being a habitual traffic violator.
A Columbus police dog alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle and police report finding a backpack with narcotics, prescription drugs and paraphernalia.
Tidwell was arrested on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator and for possessing heroin, a legend drug injection device, a legend drug, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Columbus police are announcing the promotions of three officers.
Police Chief Michael Richardson says that Toby Combest was recently promoted to the rank of Uniform Division captain. Combest is a lifelong resident of Columbus and a 12 year veteran of the Columbus Police Department. He most recently served as lieutenant of the Criminal Investigation Division.
Jay Frederick was selected to become the department’s administrative captain. That position was open after Capt. and former Police Chief Jon Rohde announced his retirement from the department to run for Superior Court judge. Frederick previously served as the department’s uniform division captain and has served in several different capacities as a Columbus officer for nearly two decades.
Ryan Linneweber was also recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Criminal Investigations Division. Linneweber has been with the Columbus Police Department for 13 years and for the last nine years, Linneweber has worked in the Investigation Division.
Seymour police are reporting that they have again arrested a man in an ongoing stalking investigation after a fight with officers.
According to police reports, Seymour police investigators were following up on stalking and invasion of privacy charges against 43-year-old Jessie L. Brown on Thursday after he violated another protective order. Seymour police and Jackson County deputies approached brown in the 10000 block of State Road 250.
But when they tried to take him into custody, he allegedly resisted arrest, injuring one officer’s hand. On his way to the jail he also is accused of threatening the deputy transporting him.
He is facing new charges of invasion of privacy, resisting law enforcement with bodily injury to an officer and intimidation of a law enforcement officer.
Brown was arrested in January as part of a stalking investigation that started in September after 13 complaints of invasion of privacy.
Columbus-based diesel engine manufacturer Cummins is announcing this morning an agreement with Isuzu for production of a global mid-range diesel powertrain for Isuzu trucks and an advanced engineering collaboration.
The companies are reporting that Cummins will be providing Isuzu with mid-range B6.7 engines for use in medium-size trucks. Cummins and Isuzu will be working together to integrate the engine with Isuzu’s chassis and to meet Japan’s emission regulations. The Cummins-powered Isuzu trucks will be coming to North America later this year and in the future will be sold in Japan, Southeast Asia and other regions.
The B6.7 mid-range engines have been produced historically at the Cummins Mid-range Engine Plant in Columbus. Under the agreement announced today, the engines for trucks built in Japan will be assembled at Isuzu’s plant located in Tochigi, Japan.
The companies formed the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership in May of 2019. Isuzu and Cummins have recently expanded the partnership discussions to include new power sources, including electrical powertrain technologies. That is part of a push to become carbon neutral.
Four Louisville men were arrested after a chase by Indiana State Police through Bartholomew and Jackson counties Tuesday with shots being fired at authorities.
A trooper noticed a car driving at more than 100 mph just south of the Columbus exit on Interstate 65 at about 1 a.m. in the morning Tuesday. After stopping the vehicle, the trooper grew suspicious and as more troopers arrived, the driver took off northbound, hitting and causing minor injuries to a trooper.
The driver got off at the Columbus exit, made a U-turn and headed back onto Interstate 65 going south, according to police reports. The occupants of the vehicle allegedly fired guns while fleeing and threw those weapons out of the car along the interstate. When the vehicle entered Jackson County, it ran over a tire deflation device placed by Jackson deputies and Seymour police. The vehicle finally stopped just south of Seymour where the four men were taken into custody.
The vehicle was found to be stolen, one of the recovered firearms had been reported stolen out of Louisville, and marijuana was found inside the vehicle.
The driver, 27-year-old Derek J. Fajardo was arrested on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting law Enforcement, battery, reckless Driving, possession of a stolen firearm, criminal recklessness with a firearm, obstruction of justice, and possession of marijuana.
The others in the car were:
Former Vice President and Columbus native Mike Pence is getting a new role.
Our news-gathering partners at Network Indiana are reporting Pence will join Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank, as a distinguished fellow.
Heritage Foundation says Pence will advise its public policy experts on conservative issues, write a monthly column for its Daily Signal, and “help steer the future of conservatism.”
Pence said in a statement the Heritage Foundation is a “flagship of the conservative movement” and he’s honored to join them.
TTWN Media Networks are reporting that Pence is establishing a post-White House transition office near D.C. However, he still plans to move with his wife Karen back to Indiana. A statement says they’re currently living in Northern Virginia. It adds the couple will continue to support causes that are important to them in addition to serving Americans.
Pence is expected to start a political organization in the next few months.
A driver in a stolen SUV was arrested after fleeing from a traffic stop near Brownstown earlier this week.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that a deputy saw the vehicle speeding on Old Vallonia Road at about 10 a.m. Tuesday. After fleeing down State Road 135, the driver left the road, driving through a yard, two fences and several farm fields. The SUV eventually got stuck after trying to drive over a ditch. The driver, later identified as 27-year-old Alexander Walker of Brownstown then ran off into nearby woods.
Deputies and Brownstown police secured the area and eventually found Walker coming out of the woods. The SUV had been reported stolen out of Henryville on January 29th and a search inside revealed drug paraphernalia and syringes.
Walker was arrested on charges including resisting law enforcement by vehicle and on foot, auto theft, possession of the syringes and paraphernalia, criminal mischief to agricultural property and reckless driving.
A Tennessee woman, driving on the interstate with her high beams on, was arrested on drug-related charges Tuesday night in Bartholomew County.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that a deputy was in the median on Interstate 65 south of the Edinburgh exit at just before midnight Tuesday when he noticed a car with its high beams on, driving behind a semi. The deputy pulled the vehicle over and sheriff’s department police dog Jari was brought to the scene, and alerted to the smell of narcotics inside.
A search revealed a baggie with cocaine inside a can in the center console as well as a plastic bag lodged between the vehicle’s battery and firewall which contained more cocaine, marijuana 100 prescription pills and 50 pressed pills.
The driver, 27-year-old Jasmine Carr of Knoxville, Tennessee was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of the cocaine, a controlled substance and marijuana, as well as maintaining a common nuisance and obstruction of justice.
Photo of police dog Jari with evidence from the arrest courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
Bartholomew County deputies are warning about online employment scams that appear as job openings from local businesses.
Police say that the scammers are using fake ads to gather personal information such as social security numbers. Authorities urge you not to provide personal information you do not know, even to an employment site. As a safeguard you should always contact companies directly through their local phone number to ensure that there really is a job opening.
Turning Point Domestic Violence Services recently reported that fraudulent job postings for the non-profit had been posted to online employment sites.
If you believe you have been a victim of one of these scams, you should contact your local law enforcement.