Pierceton Man Accused Of Leaving Scene Of Fatal Accident
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
A Pierceton man charged with arson is now also being charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident causing death, while a Warsaw woman is being charged with aiding, inducing or causing arson.
On April 11, Warsaw Police Department requested assistance from the public to obtain information into the death of Matthew C. Hoshal, 27, of 222 E. High St., Etna Green, according to a news release issued Wednesday.
At 2:21 a.m. April 7, the Warsaw Police Department had responded to the 700 block of North Lake Street reference an EMS assist for an unresponsive person.
Emergency personnel found Hoshal just off the southwest side of Lake Street. He was unconscious with labored breathing. Officers at the scene noted Hoshal had suffered bodily injury, according to an April 11 news release.
Hoshal was taken by Lutheran EMS to Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by Lutheran Hospital medical staff.
Information received from the community assisted in the apprehension of Blake D. Dull, 24, of 407 W. Elm St., Pierceton, and Hannah E. Shea, 28, of 1815 Hepler Drive, Warsaw, the news release states. Both are being held at the Kosciusko County Jail.
Dull, who had already been charged with arson, a Level 4 felony, is also being charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident causing death, a Level 5 felony. Shea is being charged with aiding, inducing or causing arson, a level 4 felony.
Court documents filed Wednesday stated that on or about April 7, Dull was the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the death of Hoshal. Dull failed to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to the accident as possible.
No court documents regarding Shea’s involvement in the case were available Wednesday.
Dull was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail April 17 on the arson charge, a level 4 felony.
On April 7, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy Kyle Denton responded to a call in regard to a vehicle on fire near CRs 600W and 1050N in Milford. When he arrived, the vehicle was engulfed in flames and was only identifiable as a Chevy by the hubcaps on the wheels.
Found near the burning vehicle was a service contract bearing the name of Dull and Regina C. Fry. The burning vehicle was identified as a 2012 Chevy Malibu 2LT.
Denton talked with Fry, who said she was the owner of the Chevy but it belonged to her son, Dull.
KCSO Sgt. Don McCune spoke with Dull, who admitted setting the vehicle on fire. He said he did it because he owes money on it and his mother couldn’t afford the payments because he was going to jail for a long time, according to court documents.
KCSO deputy Travis Marsh spoke with the office manager at Community Wide Federal Credit Union. She said Fry took out a loan on Aug. 7, 2017, for $15,879 for the Chevy Malibu. The current balance was $8,549.23.
Dull previously was arrested and booked into the jail on March 19 for dealing in methamphetamine, a level 2 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a level 3 felony; dealing in marijuana in an amount in excess of 30 grams, a level 6 felony; carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
On March 19, Warsaw Police Department officer Ross Minear conducted a traffic stop on a 2012 Chevy Malibu for driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. As he approached the vehicle, he detected an overwhelming odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, according to court documents. He asked Dull about the odor and Dull produced a multi-colored glass smoking device. Minear also saw two bags in Dull’s jacket pocket which Dull said had marijuana in them.
While taking Dull into custody, Minear searched him and found three bags of marijuana, containers of THC oil, a small bag of meth, a pill bottle containing marijuana, a glass methamphetamine smoking device, a large bag of methamphetamine, one small-scale weight, numerous unused small plastic bags, one black digital scale and one metal marijuana smoking device.
Dull also had a .22 caliber Rohm six-shot revolver, which he didn’t have a permit to carry.
Court documents state Dull agreed to talk to officers and told them the drugs and handgun were his. He also told Minear he sells methamphetamine to pay for his marijuana habit, food, car payment, car insurance and to help support his grandmother.
Officers searched his vehicle and found drug paraphernalia.
The large bag of methamphetamine weighed 29.3 grams and the small bag weighed 0.7 grams.
Dull had 71.1 total grams of marijuana, court documents state.
