CIRCUIT COURT: Goshen man pleads guilty to shooting brother

Nov. 9—GOSHEN — A Goshen man who was accused of shooting his brother during an altercation at a nightclub pleaded guilty Thursday in Elkhart County Circuit Court.

Enrique Flores, 21, Goshen, was accused of shooting his brother, Hector Flores, 24, in the parking lot of Crazyman's Stompin' Grounds Bar and Grill, 1914 Elkhart Road, Goshen, on Oct. 22. According to police, Hector was shot 10 times following an argument and was hospitalized in critical condition needing several life-saving surgeries.

Enrique Flores was charged with attempted murder for the incident. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Thursday. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7.

DERRICK A. DRUDGE

An Elkhart man charged with dealing methamphetamine, dealing marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, was in court Thursday for sentencing by plea agreement, but the sentencing was rescheduled.

Derrick A. Drudge, 42, of Elkhart, according to police, was found by police while conducting surveillance at 127 Grant St., Elkhart. When an officer arrived, court records show Drudge was blowing leaves and debris from his driveway but quickly ran into the garage and shut the door.

Drudge was arrested at the scene due to three active driving-related warrants, but after a K-9 search of the garage, police reportedly found a green safe containing meth in a plastic bowl, baggies of meth, baggies of marijuana, baggies of pills, and empty ones, pill bottles with the labels removed, a digital scale, a pipe with burnt white residue on it, and two handguns.

Drudge's sentencing hearing scheduled for Thursday was rescheduled for Dec. 14.

ROOSEVELT LEWIS, JR.

A pretrial conference was held for a man accused of murder this fall.

Roosevelt Lewis Jr., 39, is accused of the murder Tom Moser III on Sept. 21.

The call came in at 3:24 a.m. for sounds of gunfire at 516 S. Fifth St., Elkhart, and a man running from the scene. Police found Lewis Roosevelt nearby in clothing matching the original witness description, which was jeans and a sweatshirt, and attempted to stop him, but he refused and was tased, according to court records. Police said they also found the body of Moser, who appeared to have been shot numerous times, in the entryway of the apartment home at 516 S. Fifth St.

Lewis was charged with murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, criminal recklessness, intimidation, and resisting law enforcement.

Lewis was also charged with attempted murder in 2003.

Public defender Matthew Johnson noted that they've entered discovery on the case, but have no further updates. Lewis' jury trial remains scheduled for July 15, with a trial status conference scheduled for June 24.

DOUGLAS J. DEHOFF

Douglas J. Dehoff, 37, of Goshen, is charged with causing death while operating a vehicle with a schedule II or II controlled substance on May 23, 2022.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Dehoff was heading east on C.R. 4 and turned north onto Packard Drive and into the path of a 2004 Suzuki Cruiser motorcycle driven by Justin Bowen, 33, of Shipshewana, heading westbound on C.R. 4 at 4:45 a.m. that day.

Bowen was pronounced dead at the scene. Dehoff had leg pain and was taken to Goshen Hospital for treatment. Lab testing indicated the presence of cocaine in Dehoff's system, the probable cause affidavit shows.

During Circuit Court proceedings, Dehoff's trial was reset from Dec. 4 to Aug. 19, 2024. He will have a further proceedings hearing on March 21, with a trial status conference July 18.

LANDON A. GIBSON and ANTHONY R.A. AKER

One of two Elkhart men charged in Elkhart County Circuit Court in connection with a burglary and auto theft from Sept. 21 has pleaded guilty.

Anthony R.A. Aker, 19, and Landon A. Gibson, 19, are accused of burglarizing Pep Auto Sales, 1014 W. Pike St., Goshen. According to a probable cause affidavit, police were called there in reference to five vehicles taken from the sales lot.

Later in the week, on Sept. 25, police were called to Ozinga, 1700 Egbert Ave., Goshen, regarding a Cadillac Escalade parked inside one of the property's abandoned buildings. Upon arrival, officers also found four of the five total vehicles stolen from the lot inside the building.

While officers were collecting evidence from the found vehicles, a Chevrolet Impala showed up at the scene, but left quickly, and so officers conducted a traffic stop. According to the affidavit, Aker was identified as the driver and Gibson as the passenger. They reportedly told officers they'd heard the building was vacant and admitted to being in the building days prior.

Goshen police later met up with them at Aker's home, where they agreed to speak to police, court records show. They reportedly told police that they, along with Brent Gibson, stole the vehicles. Their comments also led officers to the recovery of the last missing vehicle, a black Ford 350, which was at Broadmore Estates, and the keys to all five stolen vehicles, according to the affidavit.

Gibson pleaded guilty to burglary and auto theft. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 7. Akers' bond was set at a total of $50,000, and a further proceedings hearing was scheduled for Jan. 25.

JOSHUA A. FLORA

A man accused of armed robbery hours after being released from jail may file a plea agreement soon. Joshua Flora, 37, is accused of armed robbery, auto theft, intimidation, resisting law enforcement, and unlawful possession of a syringe.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Todd Behling told officers that he'd picked up Flora from St. Joseph County Jail a few hours prior and had stopped at Flora's mother house to pick up a tire iron. While Behling was at a McDonald's picking up a DoorDash order, Flora "began acting strangely and stabbing Behling in the side with the tire iron," and threatening to kill him, the affidavit states. Behling also said that Flora reached into his pockets and took items, and claimed himself to be a U.S. Marshal before Behling finally called 911, the report reads.

Officers were dispatched to North Nappanee Street and McNaughton Avenue while the dispatch center was on a call with a person in a vehicle who was telling another individual to "stop poking that into my side" around 12:55 a.m. Jan. 29, according to the affidavit. Dispatch believed it to be a weapon and began pinging the victim's phone location.

The caller was revealed to be Todd Behling, who informed officers that he was at 29941 New Castle Drive and that the other individual in the car, Flora, had a tire iron and was stealing Behling's black Jeep Cherokee, the affidavit reads. A Jeep matching the description led officers on a chase wherein they initially lost the vehicle, but it was later found at the intersection of C.R. 108 and C.R. 1 crashed and on fire, the report reads.

Officers pulled Flora out of the vehicle and he was hospitalized. At the scene, officers stated in their report they found a syringe that would have been in the proximity of Flora.

Flora's trial status conference was held on Thursday and his jury trial was pushed from Dec. 4 to Aug. 19, with his public defender indicating that negotiations were in the works. A further proceedings hearing is scheduled for Jan. 20.

ELIJAH COLEMAN

One of two Elkhart men charged with armed robbery during their teen years pleaded guilty to the charge during Thursday's court proceedings.

According to police in a probable cause affidavit, Keondre Harris, 17, and Elijah Coleman, also 17, used a gun to hold up another teenage victim and steal cash outside the Sunny Side Food Mart along Benham Avenue in Elkhart on March, 23, 2021. The victim had met them at the store, believing it was a meet-up to purchase an iPhone for $700, according to the affidavit.

Coleman allegedly swiped the cash from the victim and took off running. But the victim chased and pushed Coleman to the ground, which caused him to spill the cash, the affidavit reads. The victim stopped to pick up his money and was able to recover about two-thirds of what was stolen off the ground, according to the affidavit.

Coleman pleaded guilty on Thursday to armed robbery, possession of an altered firearm, and resisting law enforcement. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14.

AMY M. CASTILLO

A woman charged with possession of a narcotic drug was transferred to Circuit Court from Superior Court 6. Amy Castillo, 43, on Thursday, had her attorney ask to be put on the trial calendar, with a further proceedings hearing, scheduled for Feb. 2.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Castillo was arrested following a traffic stop near the 92 Toll Plaza on I-80 due to speeding. Castillo was a passenger in the vehicle, and the officer noted that he recognized her and conducted a BMV inquiry on her. He found two active warrants on her, one from Elkhart County and another from Marshall County, and conducted a K-9 search.

Police stated in their report they identified a glass smoking device in her purse and a Crown Royal bag with a broken glass smoking device and a capsule containing what police determined to be heroin.

She was jailed on charges of possession of narcotics and paraphernalia, as well as the two other drug-related warrants.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.