POLICE NEWS: Elkhart man charged with murder of David Strowder
May 13—An Elkhart man has been charged in a murder that occurred in March. Michael Dandridge, 39, of Elkhart, was charged with the murder of David Strowder.
Elkhart police were called to the 2400 block of Morton Avenue in Elkhart at 7:25 p.m. March 21 for a shooting with injuries.
The caller, Strowder's wife, Reatisha Gary, said her brother-in-law Dandridge, was the shooter, and had left the scene, according to a probably cause affidavit.
Strowder was pronounced dead at the scene inside a bedroom of the home.
During a police interview, Gary claimed that she'd been outside when her brother-in-law arrived looking for her husband, and walked into the house, the probable cause affidavit reads. The men began speaking, and Gary went back outside.
Gary said in the statement she turned back to the house when she heard her daughter ask, "Why did you shoot my dad?" while holding Dandridge's leg. Dandridge, according to Gary, then calmly walked out of the house and told Gary not to tell police what happened before leaving.
According to the affidavit, Dandridge's girlfriend said she was in the car when the shooting occurred and that after returning her home, he'd left with someone she didn't know. Another witness also claimed to have seen Dandridge come to the home and be inside for a short time before hearing gunshots and Dandridge leaving, the affidavit reads. He identified Dandridge through a photo lineup.
Five Goshen teens arrested
Five Goshen teens were arrested Saturday night during Goshen's prom at the Lenox Event Venue, 101 N. Main St., Elkhart, around 10 p.m. All of them were 18-year-old males accused of being under the influence of alcohol.
Four of them provided preliminary breath tests. Three were above the legal limit for adults, and one refused to provide a sample but police say he smelled of alcohol, police reported. All five were incarcerated at the Elkhart County Jail on a charge of illegal consumption of an alcoholic beverage.
ARRESTS
—A 44-year-old woman was arrested by Elkhart County deputies on charges of possession of methamphetamine and operating a vehicle with a prior conviction for no insurance at Ash Road and C.R. 16 following a traffic violation.
—A 30-year-old man was arrested by Elkhart County deputies on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of marijuana at 9:23 a.m. May 10 after he was stopped for traffic violations at U.S. 33 and C.R. 13.
—A 33-year-old man was arrested by Elkhart County deputies at 7:32 a.m. May 11 on a charge of residential entry after allegedly breaking into homes in the 54000 block of Southwood Drive and the 27000 block of Midland Drive.
—A 42-year-old man was arrested by Elkhart County deputies at 11:05 p.m. May 11 on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, resisting law enforcement in a vehicle, resisting law enforcement, and reckless driving after police attempted to stop him for traffic infractions near C.R. 17 and C.R. 10 in Elkhart.
—A 23-year-old woman was arrested by Elkhart County deputies at 10:06 p.m. May 12 on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated after she allegedly drove her Chevrolet Traverse off the shoulder of U.S. 20 near C.R. 17 in Elkhart.
BURGLARY
—A 32-year-old man reported to Elkhart County deputies that around 3:43 a.m. May 9 someone broke a lock on a cargo trailer sitting in the 53000 block of C.R. 9 and took numerous tools.
—A 24-year-old woman reported to Elkhart County deputies that between 9:45 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. May 10 someone forced entry into her home in the 30000 block of Riverbend Circle and stole items.
—A 52-year-old woman reported to Elkhart County deputies that between May 4-11, someone burglarized her home in the 29000 block of C.R. 16 in Elkhart.
OFFICERS REPORT
—A 44-year-old woman reported to Elkhart County deputies at 9:55 p.m. May 9 finding suspicious letters in her yard in the 59000 block of C.R. 113 in Elkhart.
—A 70-year-old woman reported to Elkhart County deputies on May 10 that she found an iPhone in the 58000 block of Old C.R. 17.
HIT-AND-RUN
—Alexis Harris, 27, reported to Elkhart County deputies that between 6:30 p.m. May 9 and 6:30 a.m. May 10 someone struck her vehicle while it was parked in the 56000 block of Spruce Lane and fled the scene without reporting it.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF
—A 64-year-old Goshen man reported to Elkhart County deputies that between 1 and 9:15 p.m. May 8 someone cut the string for his property line and threw trash in his yard in the 15000 block of C.R. 44.
—A 26-year-old man reported to Elkhart County deputies on May 11 that his license plate was stolen and vehicle damaged while in a storage facility in the 28000 block of C.R. 4.
—A man reported to Elkhart County deputies at 1:35 a.m. May 13 that two unknown men pried his van door open in the 58000 block of Benham Avenue in Elkhart.
THEFT
—A 73-year-old woman reported to Elkhart County deputies on April 16 that packages were stolen from the 58000 block of Woodsbrooke Lane.
FRAUD
—A 30-year-old man reported to Elkhart County deputies at 1 p.m. May 11 that someone purchased goods from Treends Nursery, 30094 C.R. 56, Nappanee, using a fraudulent check for $943.74.
