Two Suspects Arrested, One of Them Shot, in Silver Lake Robbery
Posted
Craig Brosman-
SILVER LAKE – The names of the two suspects allegedly involved in the attempted burglary and shooting in Silver Lake have been released.
Aaron Michael Rhoades, 28, of CR 900E, Pierceton, was arrested and preliminarily charged with burglary, a Class A felony; burglary a Class B felony; robbery, a Class B felony; robbery, a Class C felony; and theft, a Class D felony.
Karen Gail Prater, 34, of Ind. 13, Claypool, was charged with aiding, abetting and inducing burglary, a Class B felony, and driving while suspended.
At about 3:27 p.m. Friday, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Dept. deputies responded to shots fired Friday afternoon at 802 E. Main St., Silver Lake. Upon arrival, officers located the residents, Billy Sloan and Sue Drake, at the roadway edge, along with a B.B. gun, broken rolls of coins and a pool of blood.
Deputies were told that Sloan and Drake arrived home from shopping when Sloan was forced to the ground by Rhoades with a shotgun. Drake then came into the residence and proceeded to beat Rhoades in the back of the head with a large salt/pepper shaker as the men wrestled for control of the shotgun.
During the physical altercation, the shotgun was discharged twice and eventually retrieved by Sloan, who chased the burglary suspect out of the residence. Sloan stated that the suspect subsequently pulled out a handgun as he was running, at which point Sloan fired the 12-gauge shotgun, striking Rhoades’ legs.
Rhoades then crawled into a pickup truck driven by a Prater and began to flee the scene, but not before Sloan shot out the rear passenger-side tire with the shotgun.
A short time later, deputies were informed of a person that had a “gunshot wound” at 5153 W. Corlys Lane, Silver Lake. KCSD officers and detectives arrived and located Rhoades bleeding from a head wound and a gunshot wound to his legs. Officers also located Prater, the “get-away” driver.
Rhoades was transported to the Kosciusko Community Hospital and later to Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne. Prater was transported to the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department where she confessed to her involvement in the incident.
Rhoades was released Saturday afternoon from Lutheran Hospital and transported to the Kosciusko County Jail. Rhoades allegedly confessed to detectives of the incident as well as a previous robbery of prescription medication at the same residence Nov. 14.
Prater’s bond was set at $50,000, while Rhoades’ bond was set at $200,000 by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.
KCSD officers were assisted in the investigation by the Silver Lake Police Department.
