Cocaine Found in Leesburg LEESBURG – A report of a “suspicious person” resulted in the arrest of five individuals on various drug charges early Sunday morning in Leesburg.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Dept. deputies responded to a report of a suspicious person at 5128 N. Ind. 15, Leesburg, early Sunday at approximately 2:36 a.m. Officers arrived and located a male subject who had been involved in a dispute at 5290 N. Ind. 15, Leesburg.
Deputies went to the second location and located cocaine and drug paraphernalia, which led officers to obtain a search warrant for the residence and vehicles. As a result of the search warrant, officers located more cocaine, marijuana and a firearm. Also located inside the residence were nine children. Officers immediately contacted Child Protective Services as five adults were taken into custody and transported to the Kosciusko County Jail.
The arrested suspects are: Baldemar Robles, 35, of 5290 N. Ind. 15, Leesburg; Ivan Gonzalez, 30, of 346 N. Jefferson St., Cromwell; Ruby Gonzalez, 31, of 5290 N. Ind. 15, Leesburg; Louis Alexander Juarez, 30, of 504 Frazer St., Warsaw; Aaron Keith Drum, 30, of 1615 N. CR 600W, Lebanon.
All five suspects were arrested and preliminarily charged with two counts of felony dealing cocaine and marijuana. All individuals are currently being held on individual $1,000,000 bonds set by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.
Pursuit Lands Man in Jail A Claypool man was arrested Saturday evening on various charges after fleeing from Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Dept. deputies.
Rodney Logan Shepherd, 31, of 976 E. CR 600S, Claypool, was arrested Saturday evening and preliminarily charged with fleeing law enforcement, manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of precursors, reckless driving and driving while suspended.
Shepherd was reportedly viewed by a KCSD deputy going westbound on CR 100N near the intersection of CR 450E driving erratically and without his seatbelt. The officer turned his squad car around to follow Shepherd and he immediately began to accelerate and flee from the officer.
The pursuit continued south, turning on to Old 30E and then traveling on various county roads that eventually led to the east side of Ridinger Lake.
Shepherd drove to a “dead end” at EMS R-4 H Lane where he exited the vehicle and began to flee on foot. Shepherd was struck by Taser deployment after he failed to drop a dark object in his hand and was subsequently taken into custody.
A female passenger also fled from the vehicle toward a wooded area but was not located after canine units from Whitley County Sheriff’s Department searched extensively. Items were located by KCSD officers inside the vehicle and on Shepherd associated with methamphetamine production.
Officers were also able to view the pursuit video and ascertain other precursor items that had been thrown out from Shepherd's vehicle and eventually located a one-pot meth lab.
Shepherd is being held on a $100,000 bond.
More Details Released in Farm Accident PIERCETON – A Pierceton woman was killed Sunday afternoon in a farm related accident.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Dept. deputies and emergency responders were dispatched at 4:59 p.m. Sunday to the location of 895 S. CR 450E, Pierceton, in regards to a skid loader accident.
Officers and responders arrived and found a female deceased under a traction tract of a skid loader. The Kosciusko County Coroner's Office identified Leslie A. Hodges, 42, 895 S. CR 450E, Pierceton, as the victim.
Investigators are unclear of the exact circumstances, but the death appears to be accidental in nature. Detectives found evidence that Hodges was loading large rolls of hay bails with the spear forks attached to the skid loader when she apparently exited or fell from the skid loader and was then ran over, possibly twice, as the vehicle spun/rotated in a circle.
The Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office stated that Hodges was pronounced dead at the scene from blunt force trauma.
The coroner’s office was assisted in the investigation by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, Pierceton Fire Department and Multi-Township EMS.
