POLICE NEWS: Homicide Unit detectives now investigating teen's shooting
May 3—The Elkhart County Homicide Unit has been called in to investigate the shooting of a teenager in Elkhart over the weekend.
Elkhart police found the 14-year-old boy with a gunshot wound in the alley behind 1020 McKinley St. around 3:55 p.m. Saturday. Police said the boy was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Because of the seriousness of the injuries, Homicide Unit detectives were assigned to investigate, Elkhart police said in an updated news release Monday.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 574-295-2821 or Michiana CrimeStoppers at 574-288-7867.
EXPLOSIVES CASE
A Middlebury man faces a criminal case after police found he was allegedly making small explosives.
Marlin Petersheim, 19, is charged with a Level 5 felony count of possession of a destructive device. He was arrested and jailed last Thursday following an investigation.
Middlebury police found Petersheim in Krider Park, 302 Bristol Ave., around 9:15 p.m. April 26. While talking to him, police also searched Petersheim's car and found a chrome cylinder, about seven-and-a-half inches long, with a fuse attached to it, details in a probable cause affidavit show.
Petersheim allegedly told police the cylinder was a carbon dioxide canister that he'd filled with gunpowder and planned to detonate as a firecracker in a field around the Fourth of July. Police confiscated the device and took Petersheim home that night, the affidavit shows.
A few days later, on Thursday, police searched Petersheim's home along C.R. 12 and found nearly 100 more carbon dioxide canisters along with fuses, muzzle-loading propellant and funnels, police said in the affidavit.
Petersheim was arrested at the home, and according to the affidavit, he allegedly told police he didn't know it was illegal to have those devices until police had confronted him at the park.
ARRESTS
—Anthony Stover, 21, 2809 Mallow St., Elkhart, was arrested by Goshen police and jailed on a charge of theft after police responded to a call about an employee shoplifting at Walmart, 4024 Elkhart Road, around 11:20 p.m. Sunday.
—Travis Eppert, 49, LaGrange, was arrested by Goshen police and jailed on a charge of domestic battery after police responded to a situation at the Pak-A-Sak gas station, 112 W. Pike St., around 6:55 p.m. Sunday.
—Shontera Wilson, 26, 108 S. 29th St., Goshen, was arrested by Goshen police on a charge of theft at Walmart, 2304 Lincolnway East, around 3:40 p.m. Sunday. Wilson was released at the scene with a citation to appear in court.
—Joseph Whiteaker, 36, 772 Broadmore Estates, Goshen, was arrested by Elkhart County police and jailed on a charge of driving as a habitual traffic violator following a traffic stop on Lincolnway East and College Avenue around 2:55 a.m. Sunday.
—Kyle Wilken, 33, 15660 C.R. 10, was arrested by Elkhart County police and jailed on charges of possession of cocaine, possession of a handgun without a license and resisting law enforcement, as well as on outstanding warrants following a traffic stop on C.R. 35 north of U.S. 20 near Middlebury around 9:50 p.m. Saturday.
—Connie Hickle, 59, 525 Sherman St., Bristol, was arrested by Elkhart County police and jailed on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated following a traffic stop at Ind. 19 and Lusher Ave. in Elkhart around 11:25 p.m. Thursday.
THEFT
Daina Southern reported to Elkhart County police her vehicle was taken from a home, 53586 C.R. 27, in Bristol sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday.
HIT-AND-RUN
Erik Bautista reported to Elkhart County police his vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle on U.S. 20 near C.R. 31 around 2:55 p.m. Friday. The driver of the other vehicle then left the scene without stopping to exchange information.
FRAUD
Angela Fileccia reported to Elkhart County police her father's credit card was used to pay someone else's rent sometime between Jan. 1 and Thursday.
RUNAWAY
Elkhart County police received a report that a juvenile ran away from Shanklin Park, 411 W. Plymouth Ave., in Goshen while under the supervision of Bashor Children's Home staff around 7:15 p.m. Saturday.
