News From The Hoosier State

[David In Indy]

From The Indy Channel Website:


Snakes On A Bus; Man Charged


MUNCIE, Ind. -- A 21-year-old man who picked up a package of venomous baby timber rattlesnakes at the post office and took it home on a city bus faces charges, authorities said.

Dustin A. Draper faces preliminary counts of possession of an endangered species and transportation of a dangerous reptile without a permit. He was in jail Friday on $3,500 bond and did not have an attorney listed with the jail.

Postal inspectors told the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and county police about the shipment of rattlesnakes. Officials were waiting for Draper when he got off the bus near his apartment Thursday.
 
"He wants to be cool and have venomous snakes," said Sgt. Ed Rucker, a DNR conservation officer.

Anyone who handles dangerous or wild animals in Indiana must have a state permit, and possessing endangered species like timber rattlesnakes is illegal, Rucker said.

The DNR said Draper is a known buyer and broker of venomous snakes. He was arrested last November on charges that he tried to sell an undercover conservation officer an eastern diamondback rattlesnake. He was given a suspended 60-day jail term and fined $360 in Muncie City Court. Draper also faces similar charges from August for possession of an adult cobra.

Draper has been advised to get a state wild animal permit, according to court records, although he never applied for one.


Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[David In Indy]

News of the good, the bad, the sad and the stupid for November 3, 2007



From the WISH-TV Channel 8 website:


Governor Requests Federal Aid For Tornado Cleanup in Northern Indiana



INDIANAPOLIS - Gov. Mitch Daniels has sought federal disaster assistance for recovery efforts from the tornado that hit the Nappanee area two weeks ago.

If President Bush approves the request, residents and businesses in northern Indiana's Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties could qualify for housing and unemployment assistance and disaster loans.

The governor's office says damage assessments from the Oct. 18 storm have found 51 homes destroyed, 137 with major damage and 201 with minor damage. A total of 107 businesses sustained damage, including three recreational vehicle plants that are among Nappanee's largest employers.

[David In Indy]

From the WISH-TV Channel 8 website:


Pipe Bomb Found In Westside Home

INDIANAPOLIS - A west side man is facing charges after investigators found a live pipe bomb and other explosive materials inside this home at 38 Myron Avenue.

Police believe 34-year-old Tracy Trimble was under the influence of crack cocaine at the time of his arrest.

They tazed him when he refused to comply with officer's instructions. Trimble was also wanted on a warrant from Hancock County.

[David In Indy]

From The WISH-TV Channel 8 website:


Group Honors Murder Victims With Drive-by Prayer Vigil

INDIANAPOLIS - Saturday, a group marched through the streets of Indianapolis in honor of some recent Indianapolis murder victims Their motto, "If Drive-By Guns can Kill, then Drive-By Prayers Can Heal."

The "Drive-By Prayer Vigil Network" does these vigils to give family members and friends hope. Hope that organizers say is sometimes lost.

"We declare life over death. We declare life over death," the group sang together.

And with those words the group stood together on the corner of Olive Street demanding their message be heard.

"We've risen up with a charge and a mandate to respond to the senseless killings, the murders in our city," Pastor Thomas Hill said.

One of those killings happened just down the block from where the group gathered. It was there that a homeless man lost his life last month.

"Dennis Wencke, age 56 years old, died on October the 4th 2007 a victim of a stab wound to the stomach," Pastor Hill said.

Olive Street was just one stop of many for the group today.

"We believe that just our very presences will change the hearts of man," group member Pamela Nicks said.

When people are hopeless they feel they have no reason to go on or they feel what's the use," Nicks said. "You have to give somebody hope."

The group says they will stop having the vigils once the senseless murders come to an end.

[David In Indy]

From the WISH-TV Channel 8 website:


Pedestrian Struck and Killed During Police Chase


INDIANAPOLIS - An IMPD officer hit and killed a pedestrian during a chase Saturday morning.

Police say a suspected drunk driver ran a red light just before two Saturday. When an officer tried to pull the driver over, police say the driver took off.

Another officer joined in the chase, with his lights and sirens on, driving north on Moller Road.

But, when he got just past 34th Street, even though the light was green, a man stepped in front of the patrol car.

"In trying to avoid the subject, ended up turning 180 degrees southbound on Moller, before he was able to stop at that point," IMPD Sgt. Matthew Mount said.

The impact killed the pedestrian.

Officers eventually caught up with the suspected drunk driver, 23-year-old Noel Perea-Galan, after he crashed into a median.

Police arrested Perea-Galan. He faces numerous charges, including "felony fleeing causing death."

[David In Indy]

From the WISH-TV Channel 8 website:


Firefighter Arrested For Allegedly Beating Woman With Gun


Fishers, Ind. - Fishers Police arrested an Indianapolis firefighter on Thursday.

Officers say 49-year old James Jacobi struck a woman in the head several times with a handgun.

Police were initially called out to his Fishers home early Thursday morning for shots fired.

That's where they arrested Jacobi and treated the woman for head injuries before transporting her to Methodist hospital.

[David In Indy]

News For November 4th, 2007


From the WISH-TV website:



Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing Near I-65

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. - Motorists on I-65 in Johnson County did a double take Sunday morning after seeing a plane sitting in a field.

Fifty-two year old Alan Gluff of Franklin thought he'd take his experimental aircraft for a flight. He took off from the Greenwood airport but had to make an abrupt landing.

"He's flying south, not very far south and realizes immediately he's in trouble. His oil light goes, engine's going, he gets it turned around and tries to limp it back to the airport. Obviously he doesn't make it and he lands it in the field here. Obviously a pretty rough landing," Indiana State Police Trooper Kelly Lazzell said.

Gluff was not injured. He holds a private pilots license and has approximately 1,300 hours of flight time.

[David In Indy]

From the WISH-TV website:



Police Make Huge Counterfeit Ticket Bust During Colts-Pats Game


INDIANAPOLIS - There was a huge counterfeit ticket bust at Sunday night's big game. Indianapolis Metro Police say they arrested three men who they say are major players in the phony ticket business.

All three men are from Atlanta and were found with hundreds of counterfeit tickets.

"They had approximately 197 counterfeit Colts vs. Patriots game tickets on them," IMPD Lt. Jeff Duhammel said.

Police say while fans were inside the RCA Dome enjoying the game they were outside searching for the men they say sold phony tickets to at least 40 fans.

Lt. Duhammel told 24-Hour News 8 that they arrested 3 men in a car in the 5800 block of Southeastern Avenue. Police pulled them over for speeding but found the counterfeit tickets inside the car.

One of the men arrested was Eric North. North said he's here from Atlanta to visit a girlfriend and no idea the tickets were in his rental car

"I don't know it's not my bad. The bag of tickets wasn't mine. I didn't have knowledge of what was in there," North said

"We had a counterfeit ticket problem at Super Bowl time. These guys may be directly involved with those counterfeit tickets," Lt. Duhammel said.

Police say they also confiscated phony tickets for college football games as well as other Colts games.

Police are issuing a word of warning for fans.

"Buyer Beware! Those fans who come here with counterfeit tickets they don't get seats, they're out," Lt. Duhammel said.

The men arrested will face both local and federal charges.

[injest]

counterfeit tickets!! That is just wrong!!

 

 

Hi David!!

xxx

[David In Indy]

From the WISH-TV website:


Man Found Fatally Shot, Lying In The Street


INDIANAPOLIS - Metro Police are investigating a murder on the city's near northeast side.

The deadly shooting happened at 27th Street near Carrollton Avenue.

Police responded at shortly after six o'clock Sunday morning to find 31-year old Stephen McDade lying in the street.

Police say McDade died of several gunshot wounds.

Witnesses told police they heard shouting then gunshots.

"Somebody had seen a black male about five foot two, five foot three walking away from the area described as having a short afro wearing dark clothing with a hoodie," IMPD Sgt. Matt Mount said.

If you have any information about the shooting and would like to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 262-TIPS.