Three Arrested In Intimidation Case

A Syracuse man and two others from Warsaw were arrested Wednesday after the three convicted felons allegedly intimidated a woman with firearms and threatened to kill a fourth man.

Seth James Deamaral, 26, of 11256 N. CR 450E, Syracuse, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 4:31 p.m. Tuesday. Court documents filed Wednesday indicate he is being held on $50,000 surety and $250 cash bonds.

Charges against Deamaral include criminal confinement, a level 3 felony; possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a level 4 felony; intimidation with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony; criminal recklessness while armed with a deadly weapon, a level 6 felony; and possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony.

Dale Birch Stephens, 26, of 606 E. Clark St., Warsaw, was arrested at 4:58 p.m. Tuesday, and Douglas E. Marsillett II, 28, of 3750 Lake City Highway, Warsaw, was arrested at 5:12 p.m. Tuesday, both for possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. No bond was set for either man.

On Tuesday, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a call about shots fired in the county.

Deputy Dalis Owens arrived and saw two men and a woman standing by a vehicle; they were later identified as Deamaral, Stephens and the homeowner. Officers looked inside the white Ford and saw a military-style rifle. Officers also found another man hiding in the garage, identified as Marsillett. In the opposite corner of the garage, officers saw a .22 caliber Hi Standard handgun and small .380 caliber handgun. Another woman, the apparent victim, was found inside the residence.

KCSD deputy Matt Rapp spoke with the woman, who said she was inside the house, looked outside and saw the white Ford. Stephens came to the door and wanted to speak with the fourth man on the telephone. He told her to check the mailbox, and she walked toward it and checked the mail. As she was walking back toward the house, the white Ford drove up with Deamaral, Stephens and Marsillett inside. The victim saw Stephens holding a handgun and she thought it was fake, so she shoved the gun away from her. Deamaral then displayed a handgun and said it was for real, then fired through the passenger window in the woman’s direction. She told police she felt the bullet fly past her.

The back door of the vehicle opened and Marsillett grabbed her and pulled her inside the vehicle. They then drove out of the driveway and down the road. They told her this was not about her, but that they wanted to speak with the fourth man. They told her when the fourth man arrives, they were going to shoot the driver of the vehicle and take the fourth man to the barn and kill him.

They then drove back to the residence and the woman told them that there were children inside.

She told police Marsillett had a handgun and unloaded it and tried to hand her the gun, but she told him she didn’t want it. Officers found a live .22 caliber bullet in the area where Marsillett unloaded the handgun. The woman said Deamaral, Stephens and Marsillett all had possession of guns.

Rapp spoke with Stephens, who admitted he went to the residence with Marsillett and Deamaral. He knocked on the door and when the victim came outside, Deamaral and Marsillett were standing outside the vehicle holding firearms. They told the victim that the fourth man owes them money. He said they told the woman to go to the mailbox because they were expecting a package to be delivered. Stephens said Deamaral was driving and he fired the gun out of the window toward the woman. He admitted he had a small handgun that he got from Marsillett.

Owens spoke with Marsillett who admitted Deamaral and Stephens had handguns. He said he thought the incident was about drugs and money.

While searching Deamaral, police found a plastic bag containing methamphetamine. Deamaral admitted they were looking for the fourth man, they had guns, that he shot the military-style rifle and that he thought they were there to trade the guns for heroin. He admitted to being a two-time convicted felon from California.

Court documents state that Stephens was convicted of unlawful possession of a syringe, a level 6 felony, in 2017 in Kosciusko County.

Marsillett was convicted of dealing in methamphetamine, a level 5 felony, in 2015 in Kosciusko County.

Deamaral has a burglary conviction in 2016 in California.