Goshen man sentenced to 30 years

Dec. 7—GOSHEN — A Goshen man who was accused of shooting his brother during an altercation at a nightclub was sentenced to over 30 years on Thursday in Elkhart County Circuit Court.

Enrique Flores, 21, Goshen, is 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, 2022. 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 was also sentenced for a probation violation for a 2017 robbery conviction, a Level 3 Felony, as a result.

Public Defender Matthew Johnson told the judge that earlier in the day the brothers had went to go visit the grave of a friend who recently passed away, and that's when the drinking and drug relapse started, but Flores had blacked out and didn't actually remember the incident but he saw the video and knew acknowledged it was him, even turning himself in when he learned the police were looking for him.

"I want to apologize to my brother and my family," Flores said. "I'm sorry. I love you guys."

Flores was sentenced to 35 years, with five suspended and on reporting probation. Advisory of 30, enchanced for aggravating to 35. 5 suspended, with 5 on reporting probation.

LANDON A. GIBSON

One of two Elkhart men charged in Elkhart County Circuit Court in connection with a burglary and auto theft from Sept. 21 was sentenced on Thursday.

Landon A. Gibson, 19, was sentenced to a total of five years at the Indiana Department of Corrections, with two years suspended, and two years on reporting probation. The total is a concurrent total of five years for burglary, and two years for auto theft.

Anthony R.A. Aker, 19, and Gibson 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, A Level 5 Felony, and Auto Theft, a Level 6 Felony.

JUAN J. TOSCANO RAMIREZ

One of two men accused of an armed robbery and armed kidnapping was in court for his initial hearing Tuesday.

Juan J. Toscano Ramirez, 26, is accused of robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of body armor, possession of methamphetamine, and resisting law enforcement.

The victim told police that he was with Josue Garcia Miranda at at his house on Burr Street for a time and left. Garcia Miranda was acting erratic so he asked Garcia Miranda to drop him off at a gas station nearby, and Garcia Miranda said he could stop by later, instead pulling into his own house on Franklin Street.

Garcia Miranda told him to go inside before him, which the victim said he found unusual since he had never actually been there before and didn't know anyone there. A man later identified through active warrant as Juan Toscano Ramirez told him to go upstairs and the three went upstairs together.

The two men then asked the victim where the gun was, and the victim told them he didn't know what they were talking about. The two men then allegedly began beating him with a wooden stick and a gun, while the victim continued to tell them he didn't know what gun they were talking about.

Toscano Ramirez, the victim said, told him to empty his pockets and the victim took out his wallet and gave it to them, and then they walked him downstairs, and sat him down, where more men, including a man named "Dan," continued to ask him where the gun was and he continued to tell them he didn't know, but this time mentioned he did know someone with a gun.

The victim then said that Garcia Miranda and Toscano Ramirez told him to get into the car, that they were going to get that gun, and that they would shoot him if he tried to flee or get help. They reportedly walked him at gunpoint to the car. The victim told Garcia Miranda that the gun was at a friend's house on Moorhouse Avenue.

When they arrived at the home, the victim's friend's grandma answered the door and the victim told her to call the police. She yelled something about a gun and the victim said it spooked the two men, who then left in the car and the victim got a ride from the friend's home to the ER to make the report. He identified the men through a lineup.

Police found what appeared to be blood in the vehicle identified by the victim and owned by Garcia Miranda via search warrant. They also executed a search warrant on the home in the 700 block of Franklin Street, wherein officers say it appeared that a man named Daniel Davis took his own life during a standoff with SWAT.

Detectives recovered a DVR during the search of the home, and said they found a recording with Garcia Miranda, Toscano Ramirez, and the victim, when the two entered the home, and later when they left and the victim was bloodied up and being escorted out presumably by gunpoint.

Garcia Miranda was arrested following an attempt to visit the victim's home. Police arrested him at a nearby traffic stop on Nov. 21. Toscano Ramirez was arrested Dec. 2.

ADRIAN A. WHITE CONNER

A burglary suspect's bond reduction was denied during Thursday's Circuit Court proceedings.

Adrian White Conner, 30, is accused of the burglary at KC Layne Makeup and Lash Studio, 1731 E. Bristol St., Elkhart, May 27. He saw his first day in court for the charge Thursday.

The owner of the salon reported to police May 30 that the building had been broken into on May 27. Three women renting rooms at the building noted money bags, a checkbook, a bank bag, and several necklaces missing.

Surveillance cameras at the property identified Adrian White Conner, 30, breaking into the building.

A trial status conference is scheduled for July 11, and a jury trial for Aug. 5

DERRICK A. DRUDGE

A dealer was sentenced to over 20 years in prison.

Derrick Drudge, 42, Elkhart, was sentenced on charges of unlawful possession of a legend drug, resisting law enforcement, dealing methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, driving while suspended, and criminal recklessness from a series of incidents over several years.

On Jan. 21, 2020, an officer with the Middlebury Police Department pulled him over near Ind. 13 and C.R. 8 pulling into the Rolling Meadows neighborhood. A probable cause affidavit indicates that the officer found Drudge's Jeep unfamiliar and when he ran the plate, discovered driving privileges for the owner, Drudge, were suspended.

When he attempted to pull the Jeep over, the driver did not stop and eventually went through a field along C.R. 39, continuing onto Ind. 120 and driving in the wrong lane. At one point, the affidavit states, the driver began throwing tools and other objects out of the vehicle and the pursuit went upwards of 90 miles per hour. The pursuit went into Michigan where the driver was eventually arrested and identified as Drudge.

He was charged with resisting law enforcement, a Level 6 Felony; driving while suspended, a Misdemeanor; and criminal recklessness.

Later on in Sept. 2020, he was arrested on charges of Dealing in Meth, a Level 2 Felony; possession of a controlled substance, a Level 6 Felony; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.

According to police, while conducting surveillance at 127 Grant St., Elkhart, 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.

While awaiting trial, a bunk search at the Elkhart County Jail turned up prescription medication with his possessions. Drudge admitted that the pills were his and did not have a prescription for them himself and was subsequently also charged with possession of a legend drug, a Level 6 Felony.

Drudge was sentenced to 23 years to the Indiana Department of Corrections, with 8 of those suspended and on reporting probation.

KYRIE E. BRENNEMAN

A Goshen woman charged with multiple counts of child neglect and battery toward her 3-month-old daughter had split results for evaluation of her insanity defense during a status conference Thursday. Elkhart County Superior Court Judge Theresa Cataldo ordered a third psychological evaluation.

Kyrie E. Brenneman, 30, Goshen, is charged with two counts of Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Catastrophic Injury on Sept. 29, and six counts of Domestic Battery with Serious Bodily Injury to a Person Under 14 June 24.

According to a probable cause affidavit, doctors at Goshen Hospital contacted police to investigate a possible child abuse after a baby was brought in with brain bleeding on Sept. 29. The three-month-old baby girl suffered a skull fracture, brain bleeding, and seizures, and was ultimately flown to Riley Children's Hospital for treatment.

Elkhart County Homicide Unit was also called in for the investigation as at the time, doctors weren't sure if the girl would survive, and if she did, her injuries were likely to cause organ impairment and life-threatening deterioration.

Both Brenneman and her boyfriend told police during questioning that the baby's dad, her boyfriend, had been caring for the child and accidentally dropped her on her head on the changing table. The boyfriend later told police it was a lie and said they made up the story together so Brenneman wouldn't have to go to jail.

He told police that Brenneman told him that she dropped the baby and shook her and then took her to the hospital. When questioned, Brenneman then said that it was she who dropped the baby on the changing table on Sept. 28 and that she shook her because she would not stop crying, and also squeezed her in her arms. After the baby stopped crying, she put the baby in her crib and went to bed and didn't check on her again until her boyfriend got home from work around 3 p.m. and he noticed the child wasn't acting 'like herself.'

The next morning, Sept. 29, the couple found blood on the crib and changing table but couldn't find any cuts on the baby so they thought the blood came from her mouth and took to her the hospital when her arm began twitching and possibly having seizures.

Brenneman allegedly told police that she'd dropped, squeezed, chucked, shook, or smacked the baby before out of frustration because her crying kept her awake, between June 24 and Sept. 28. The six charges dated June 24 are a result of those claims.

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.