Man wanted on federal warrant has been living in Logan

Aug. 26—Jose Miguel Zuniga will return to court at 9 a.m. Oct. 12 for his pretrial conference.

The 40-year-old Corpus Christi, Texas, man remains in the Cass County Jail after being taken into custody early Wednesday morning.

The Cass County Drug Task Force received a tip Tuesday night that illegal drug activity was occurring at 225 W. Linden Ave. Granted a narcotic search warrant by Cass Superior Court 1 Judge James Muehlhausen, the Drug Task Force secured the residence with the assistance of the Logansport Police Department, Cass County Sheriff's Department and the Indiana State Police.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the ISP SWAT team was called in due to the possibility of several firearms inside the residence.

Once the SWAT team announced their presence over the PA system and activated lights and sirens on armored vehicles, one man exited the residence, according to the report. He was identified as Zuniga, who also was wanted on a federal arrest warrant.

Search warrant in hand and presented, officers entered the property, where they found 14 grams of methamphetamine; nearly two grams of heroin; marijuana; paraphernalia; five false identification cards with two Social Security cards; two cell phones; three receipts for money transactions, each worth $1,400; and an MP UZI .22 caliber LR, unloaded with no magazine.

Upon questioning, Zuniga informed officers that he has been residing in Logansport for more than a year, the police report states. He also told officers that he has been employed at Fratco in Francesville.

He claimed that he was living in the area so he could "see his son," according to the report.

Zuniga was wanted on a federal arrest warrant for probation violation and for possession with intent to deal methamphetamine out of southern Texas.

Considered "armed and dangerous" by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Marshals, Zuniga had at one point fled to Mexico to avoid being arrested on a murder charge.

The U.S. Marshals Service is set to pick up Zuniga in the near future. However, he also will have to face his current local charges of dealing methamphetamine, between five and 10 grams, with enhancing circumstances as a Level 2 felony; possession of a narcotic drug as a Level 6 felony; and carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor.

His final pretrial conference is set for 9 a.m. Nov. 1, and his jury trial is slated for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 1, both in Cass Superior Court 2.

A public defender has been appointed for Zuniga, who has been ordered to pay a fee of $100 toward that representation.

Also set to appear at 9 a.m. Oct. 12 for a final pretrial conference and at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 1 for a jury trial in Cass Superior Court 2 are Luis Antonio Lopez Aleman, 38, of Indianapolis, and Anjelica Renee Kassa, 30, of Westfield, who were arrested by the Drug Task Force on an unrelated case.

Their arrests happened at approximately 9:15 p.m. Tuesday at Cicott Street and Wheatland Avenue.

They both face Level 2 felonies for dealing in methamphetamine with an amount of 10 or more grams and Class A misdemeanors for carrying a handgun without a license. Aleman also has a third charge of possession of cocaine, a Level 6 felony.

Reach Kristi Hileman at kristi.hileman@pharostribune.com or 574-732-5150