Police: Man made pipe bomb, possessed drugs
HAMBLEN TWP. — A 30-year-old Brown County man faces multiple felonies and misdemeanors after police executed a search warrant at his home and found a pipe bomb, along with drugs, according to court paperwork.
On Dec. 28, Capt. Mike Moore with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department spoke with a couple who was concerned about the actions of Cody Brown recently, saying he was a danger to himself and others, a probable cause affidavit states.
Brown had shown someone in his home a PVC pipe bomb, and that person also had reported seeing shotgun shells that had been torn apart in the trash, the affidavit states.
Moore was also told about an incident where Brown had become violent and damaged property a week before Thanksgiving. Police responded to the home then. A case report was made, but no action was taken after officers talked to Brown, the affidavit states.
While at the home on Dec. 28, one of the witnesses reported seeing Brown with something that looked like a PVC pipe with something coming out of the top of it. The witness said that Brown was trying to light it. When asked what he had, Brown made a motion with his hands to look like an explosion, according to the affidavit.
When told to remove the pipe from the home, Brown reportedly put it in his vehicle. Those who lived with Brown did not return home because of the device, the affidavit states.
The next day, on Dec. 29, police served a search warrant at his home on Gold Point Road. Brown did not immediately exit his bedroom when police arrived, but eventually did so and he was detained while police searched the room.
Police reported finding a complete pipe bomb under his mattress. They also found shotgun shells that had been cut apart that are believed to have been used to make the bomb.
They also found a syringe under the mattress. Marijuana and paraphernalia were found in a metal tin in Brown’s closet. In a black box by Brown’s bed, police found 25 mg of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine extended release medication. They also found a small mirror on Brown’s nightstand with powder residue on it and a sawed-off shotgun barrel in Brown’s closet, the report said.
Brown said he was not taking any medications. While police were searching his room, Brown reportedly told Deputy William Pool that what police were looking for was under the mattress. When asked if he meant the pipe bomb, Brown nodded his head yes, the probable cause affidavit states.
Officers with the Indiana State Police Explosives and Bomb Squad assisted with removing the pipe bomb from the home. ISP technicians reported that it was a working explosive device.
On Dec. 30, Brown was charged with possession of a destructive device, a Level 5 felony; unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony; possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
Police: Driver crashed into fence, fled scene
VAN BUREN TWP. — Police responding to a report of someone hitting a fence on Elkinsville Road and leaving the scene found the driver nearby with more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
Just before 9 a.m. Dec. 21, Sgt. Colton Magner with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department responded to a home in the 1100 block of Elkinsville Road where a driver had hit the fence, then continued toward Story, a probable cause affidavit states.
While on his way, Magner was told by dispatch that the homeowner had found the vehicle in the 1600 block, but did not approach him, the affidavit states. He said the vehicle was parked and hidden behind a barn.
When Magner arrived on scene, he reported finding a vehicle stuck in a ditch matching the description given by the damage victim. The driver was Anthony Miller, 36, of Indianapolis. Before Magner exited his vehicle to approach the driver, the man had already put his hands on the back of his head and interlocked his fingers, the affidavit states.
Magner put the man in handcuffs and reported smelling alcohol on him. When asked how he crashed in to the ditch, Miller did not answer.
Miller refused to submit to a chemical test and Magner requested a search warrant for his blood. Magner noted that Miller’s attitude constantly changed from argumentative to apologetic. He told Magner he came to Brown County using I-65.
He also told Magner he was not the driver, but Magner reported no one else being with him. He also told the officer the car he was driving was not his, but Magner noted the car was registered to him, according to the affidavit.
A preliminary breath test showed his blood-alcohol content to be 0.27, more than three times the legal limit.
The search warrant was granted for Miller’s blood and he was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital.
Magner spoke with a witness who lived near the barn where Miller’s vehicle was found. She reported seeing a man drive behind the barn and then walk up and down the road. He then went back to his vehicle and tried to turn around before getting stuck in the ditch. She noted he was the only one in the vehicle, the affidavit states.
The damage victim said the fence would cost at least $1,000 to repair.
Magner noted there were no skid marks where the vehicle left the road, indicating he did not try to stop. Parts of the vehicle were found at both locations.
Miller was booked into the Brown County jail. On Dec. 22, he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated — endangering a person, a Level 6 felony; operating a vehicle with an ACE of 0.15 or more, a Level 6 felony; operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 6 felony; driving while suspended, a Class A misdemeanor; and leaving the scene of an accident, Class B misdemeanor.
His OWI charges were elevated to felonies since Miller had previously been convicted of two OWIs in 2014.
