Man charged for Chocolate Moose burglary
A Nashville man has been charged with two felony counts for breaking in and stealing money from the Chocolate Moose this fall.
Nashville Police Patrolman Heather Burris was distpatched to the Chocolate Moose on Oct. 15 for a report of a break-in that morning.
The store manager advised Burris he arrived and found the drive through glass had been broken into from the outside.
Surveillance footage of the incident showed an individual in a Halloween mask breaking into the building with a hammer. The suspect then walked back to the office and opened the safe with a code.
The suspect was identified by tattoos and a particular walk by managers as past employee Charles R. Knight III, 40, of Nashville.
Knight had been employed at the Chocolate Moose until he was fired in September.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Knight removed roughly $5,000 from the safe.
On Oct. 18, NPD Det. Mick Reddick met with another manager of the Chocolate Moose. They shared more evidence that the individual was Knight.
On Nov. 5, Nashville Police Patrolman Lindsey Downing was dispatched to the Chocolate Moose for another break-in of the same manner. Security footage showed an individual that the managers recognized to be Knight.
According to the affidavit, Knight emptied cash register trays into his pockets then left the premises. He wore similar attire and entered in the same manner.
A total of $471 was taken in the form of various bills. Police were also advised by Chocolate Moose managers that the window would cost around $500 to fix, for a total loss of $971.
Reddick conducted background checks of Knight and found that he was on parole for another burglary. Reddick spoke with Knight’s parole agent on Oct. 19 and found that he was listed as working at Camp Atterbury.
A classified source who worked at the base said that Knight had only worked a few days, if that, and may not have worked there at all.
Knight was not present for a parole meeting on Nov. 5 and a parole violation was issued. Officers obtained a search warrant for his home and found a hooded jacket, black gloves and a hammer that matched what the suspect was wearing and using in surveillance footage from the Chocolate Moose.
Knight has been charged with two Level 5 felonies for burglary.
Driver transported by helicopter after crash
HAMBLEN TWP. — A 38-year-old Morgantown man was transported by a medical helicopter after striking a tree on Christmas Eve.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene of a crash on Gatesville Road just after midnight.
Once on scene, Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Minor found that the driver, Michael Peaslee, was in the passenger seat of the vehicle screaming for help.
He complained of chest pain and first responders reported seeing a severe leg injury, according to the accident report, according to the accident report by Minor.
Peaslee told responders he swerved to miss a deer and struck the tree. He was the only one in the vehicle.
Firefighters with Hamblen Township Volunteer Fire Department and EMS also assisted at the scene.
A tourniquet was applied and an Indiana University Health Lifeline helicopter was contacted to transport Peaslee due to his leg injury. His vehicle was towed from the scene.
Extra police on patrol during the holidays
The Brown County Sheriff’s Department announced Dec. 17 that it will be increasing patrols during the holiday season as part of a statewide crackdown on impaired driving.
Through Jan. 1, officers will be looking for anyone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Law enforcement will also be watching for seat belt violations and other forms of dangerous driving.
The extra patrols are part of the Safe Family Travel campaign aimed at reducing crashes and traffic fatalities around the holidays, when statistics show an increased potential for drunk driving. The high-visibility patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
“This holiday season, we’ll have a strong and visible police presence focused on keeping people safe and dangerous drivers off the road,” Sheriff Scott Southerland said. “This effort is a reminder about the dangers of impaired driving, but it also serves as a warning. If you choose to drive impaired on drugs or alcohol, you will be arrested.”
Every year, more than 10,000 people die in drunk-driving crashes in the U.S. That’s approximately one person every 52 minutes. While driving under the influence is a daily concern, it’s more prevalent around certain holidays, with Christmas and New Year’s among the deadliest, according to a press release from the sheriff’s department.
Throughout the campaign, officers will be working overtime to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving, which includes more than just drugs and alcohol. Certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can also affect a person’s ability to drive safely, so it’s important to read and follow all warning labels or consult with a doctor before driving.
The department is asking for the public’s help to keep Indiana roads safe this holiday season by designating a sober driver or using a ride service, public transportation or taxi if alcohol is consumed. Motorists are also encouraged to wear a seat belt, slow down, put down cell phones and to make sure kids are properly buckled up. In addition to being required by law, wearing a seat belt also reduces the risk of injury or death in a crash.
Motorists can report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911 or contacting the department at 812-988-6655.
2 minors injured in golf cart accident
Two teenagers were injured in an accident involving a golf cart earlier this month.
First responders were dispatched to the area of Lonesome Pine Drive on Dec. 5 for a crash with injuries.
Arriving on scene, Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy William Pool made contact with the two teens involved in the golf cart crash.
According to a 16-year-old passenger, the front tire of the golf cart went off the driveway, causing it to flip. The golf cart was being driven by another 16 year old who was thrown from the cart. The passenger was trapped underneath.
The driver was unable to answer questions and had a leg injury, according to the accident report. She was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital by EMS.
The passenger had an abrasion on her leg and went to the hospital for checkout by personal vehicle.
Police: Man walking on highway had syringes
While conducting a welfare check on a man walking on State Road 135 South this fall, police discovered he was carrying syringes, a meth pipe and Suboxone without a prescription.
Sgt. Chad Williams with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department responded to the welfare check on Sept. 29 after dispatched received a welfare check request for a man walking north on 135 South carrying a plastic shopping bag, the probable cause affidavit states.
The caller was concerned he was a missing person from Bartholomew County.
Williams reported finding the man walking — later identified as 38-year-old Christopher Reed of Martinsville — and he told Williams he was walking to Martinsville, the affidavit states.
Williams offered Reed a ride and searched him prior to Reed getting in his patrol vehicle.
During the search, Williams reported finding five empty, capped syringes in a pocket. Reed said he uses the syringes to ingest speed. Inside his wallet, Williams reported finding rolling papers that Reed said he uses to smoke marijuana. In the shopping bag, Williams found a pill bottle with orange round pills inside that Reed said were Suboxone pills, according to the affidavit.
Reed said he had a prescription for the Suboxone, but did not have it with him. Williams also found a meth pipe inside the bag. Reed was then arrested and transported to the Brown County jail.
Once at the jail, Williams reported finding a plastic bag with two small marijuana cigarettes inside of the pill bottle, the affidavit states.
Reed was formally charged with unlawful possession of syringe, Level 6 felony; possession of a controlled substance, Class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, Class B misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, Class C misdemeanor.
Woman facing felony domestic battery charge
A 58-year-old Nashville woman has been charged with a Level 6 felony for domestic battery after police responded to a report of a domestic dispute in Nashville on Sept. 30.
When police arrived at the home on West Gould Street, the victim told Nashville Police Patrolman Dylan Smock that Naomi Eisenmenger had hit her in the face and pulled her hair, the probable cause affidavit states.
Smock reported seeing three red scratches on the left side of the victim’s face. Eisenmenger then came out of the house and called the victim a liar, telling police she did not hit her, the affidavit states.
The victim said Eisenmenger had asked her for keys to a vehicle outside because she was going to change a flat tire. The victim did not want to give Eisenmenger the keys because she was intoxicated and her driver’s license was suspended. Eisenmenger left the room and returned screaming at her.
Eisenmenger then reportedly began hitting her in the face and pulling her hair. The victim said she had to shove Eisenmenger away and that she fell into the microwave in the kitchen, according to the affidavit.
When Brown County Sheriff’s deputies Kyle Minor and Nicholson Briles arrived on scene to assist, Eisenmenger began yelling at the victim again.
A juvenile at the scene told police she heard the two women yelling and that she heard Eisenmenger throw items in the home, the affidavit states.
A portable breath test showed Eisenmenger’s blood alcohol content to be 0.31, which is nearly four times the legal limit. Eisenmenger was cleared to be booked into jail by staff at Columbus Regional Hospital.
The Level 6 felony was filed against her on Oct. 1.
Felony OWI charges made after traffic stop
A local woman has been charged with three felonies after a traffic stop in October.
Nashville Police Patrolman Lindsey Downing was on routine patrol on Oct. 2 when she observed a vehicle stationary in the middle of Salt Creek Road just north of State Road 46 East.
When Downing turned onto Salt Creek from 46 East, the vehicle continued northbound on Salt Creek. Downing observed the vehicle cross the center line two times and initiated a traffic stop, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Downing made contact with the driver, Devan Whitaker, 29, of Nashville, who said she was texting.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Downing smelled alcohol on Whitaker, but Whitaker said she had not been drinking.
When running Whitaker’s driving status, Downing found that she had eight points on her license from a prior operating a vehicle while intoxicated charge.
When Downing asked Whitaker again if she had been drinking, she said she had “a few beers,” the affidavit states.
Whitaker failed three field tests.
A breath test showed her blood alcohol content was 0.198, which is more than twice the legal limit. A search of the vehicle yielded a half empty bottle of vodka in a purse and an empty bottle of vodka in the glove box.
Whitaker was transported to the Brown County jail for a chemical test, which showed her BAC to be 0.18. She was formally charged with three Level 6 felonies for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Her charges were elevated to felonies due to a prior OWI conviction in Jennings County last year.
Traffic stop leads to drug charges
A Columbus man was arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop in October on State Road 46 East.
Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant was traveling eastbound on 46 East on Oct. 7 when he observed a vehicle with false plates traveling in the same direction.
Bryant initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Christina Axsom, 27, Nineveh, and recognized the smell of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The passenger, Skyler Johnson, 30, Columbus, said he did not have an identification card with him.
Sgt. Colton Magner with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department and Deputy Josh Stargell arrived on scene to assist.
Johnson said that he smoked marijuana in the vehicle several hours prior, but that there was none in the vehicle.
While searching the vehicle, officers found a broken ink pen made into smoking device, a grinder with marijuana, a plastic baggie containing two white oval pills known to be Gabapentin, a non-narcotic legend drug. Another baggie was also found containing marijuana.
Axsom said the bag belonged to her as well as the grinder. Johnson said he used the broken pen to smoke marijuana and the bag containing the marijuana was his. He said the Gabapentin was his, but he has not had an active prescription for the pill for three years.
Johnson also admitted to being on probation in Jennings County for possession of methamphetamine.
Axsom was provided with a summons for possession of paraphernalia and was released from the scene.
Johnson was transported to Brown County Jail and charged with unlawful possession or use of a legend drug, a Level 6 felony. He was also charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, both misdemeanors.
Louisville man arrested for possession of meth
A traffic stop for speeding this fall resulted in the arrest of a Louisville man for possessing methamphetamine.
Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant initiated a traffic stop on State Road 46 East on Oct. 15 after observing a vehicle driving 69 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone.
The driver, Justyn Carrillo, 25, Louisville, told police he was not familiar with the area and was traveling home to Louisville from Bloomington, where he was employed.
He told police he was terminated by his employer that day and was moving back to Kentucky.
Bryant observed a torch lighter in the passenger seat and luggage in the backseat. He observed that Carrillo’s hands were trembling, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Carrillo consented to a vehicle search, during which police found marijuana paraphernalia, two THC cartridges, two glass smoking pipes, a metal smoking pipe with green leafy substance and a baggie containing a white crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine.
According to the affidavit, Carrillo told police it was methamphetamine and he had started using again recently after a friend passed away.
He said he had no involvement in Brown County or Bloomington and wants to quit using, but “it just grabs him,” according to the report.
Carrillo was charged Oct. 20 with possession of methamphetamine, Level 6 felony; possession of marijuana, Class B misdemeanor; possession of paraphernalia, Class C misdemeanor
2 face felony drug charges after hotel room search
Two individuals face multiple drug-related felonies after a police search of a hotel room resulted in drugs and paraphernalia being found.
On Oct. 21, Nashville Police Patrolman Billy Bryant was traveling eastbound on State Road 46 West when he reported seeing a truck bearing Florida plates traveling at a high rate of speed, a probable cause affidavit states.
He initiated a stop for speeding and having a partially unlit license plate. The driver, Robert Edlund, 63, of Malabar, Florida said he had been having mechanical issues with his truck and wanted to keep it from stalling on Schooner Hill.
Bryant recognized Edlund from prior conversations. He had told police he travels for employment and was staying in a Nashville hotel.
Edlund avoided eye contact with Bryant and reportedly had trembling hands, according to the affidavit.
Edlund told police he did not believe anything illegal was in the vehicle.
Edlund consented to a vehicle search, which resulted in the finding of multiple syringes commonly used with illegal substances, a white plastic tube with a white crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine inside, a white piece of paper with gray crystal substance believed to be heroin, metal caps and Naloxone, the affidavit states.
Edlund was detained for drug paraphernalia and admitted to having a glass smoking pipe in his back right pocket.
He told police that the substances were most likely methamphetamine and heroin that were used by a woman he had met two days prior that was staying with him.
He also consented to a search of his hotel room.
Upon their arrival, police made contact with the woman, Zoe Byl, 27, Bloomington. At the hotel, police found a backpack with her name written on it containing a glass smoking pipe, two loaded syringes, metal caps with burnt residue, a bank zipper bag with tie-off rubber bands and numerous other syringes.
Inside a purse in the room they found a bag containing 58 assorted pills for treating depression and drug addiction.
A silver spoon with white burnt residue was also found.
A clear plastic baggie containing heroin was found on Byl’s person. She was then transported to Brown County jail.
According to the affidavit, Byl refused to speak about the incident.
Edlund said he and Byl were the only two people with access to the room.
Formal charges were filed on Oct. 22.
Edlund was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a narcotic drug, unlawful possession of syringe and maintaining a common nuisance — controlled substances, all Level 6 felonies.
Byl was charged with unlawful possession or use of legend drug, possession of a narcotic drug, unlawful possession of syringe and maintaining a common nuisance — controlled substances, all Level 6 felonies.
Both were also charged with possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
Nineveh woman faces domestic battery charge
NINEVEH — A Nineveh woman has been charged with domestic battery after police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance Nov. 12 on Porter Road.
Sgt. Colton Magner with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call in the 6300 block of Porter Road after a caller advised of a disturbance, but that those involved were separated.
When he arrived he made contact with the victim, who said that 60-year-old Catherine Wimmenauer was drunk and had hit him with a Bible, bit him and choked him, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Magner noted that both of the victim’s arms were bleeding.
Wimmenauer had been to the store earlier with the victim and he believed she had purchased alcohol while they were there.
The victim told officers that he heard a thud in her bedroom and went to check on her. He reportedly found her on the floor next to her bed. He heard another thud after helping her back into bed and found she had fallen in the tub in her room, the probable cause affidavit states.
He told officers that she came into his room and accused him of telling a relative she was drinking and he said he did not. She then asked him to swear on the Bible.
He told her again he did not tell, at which point she hit him with the Bible and tried to take his phone. He told police that she bit him in the arms and put her hands on his neck. He reported having videos of portions of the altercation.
According to the probable cause affidavit, police did observe bite marks on his arms along with redness and bruising on his neck. He was treated by EMS at the scene.
Police made contact with Wimmenauer, who was in bed. According to the probable cause affidavit, she was intoxicated with slurred speech and had an “uncooperative attitude.”
She was not able to give a clear statement of what occurred. She told police the victim pushed and grabbed her, so she had to fight him off to get away. She said his arms when injured when she pushed him away. She showed officers her elbow that had a scrape on it and light bruising, according to the affidavit.
She did not know how much wine she had consumed and officers noted that it did not appear she could comprehend what was going on.
EMS wrapped the victim’s arms and confirmed that his injuries were bite marks.
Wimmenauer was arrested and given a breath test, which show her blood-alcohol content to be 0.23.
She was formally charged on Nov. 15 with a Class A misdemeanor for domestic battery.
