Monday morning, Midnight Shift Deputies were dispatched to the 100 block of Spruce Street, Westville, reference suspicious activity. Deputies were advised that a dark colored (SUV) had possibly dropped off two subjects who may be entering vehicles in the area.
Deputy Josh Smith was first to arrive in the area. At 3:04 AM, Deputy Smith initiated a traffic stop on an SUV matching the description at Ash Parkway and CR 300 South. The driver, identified as 19 year old Quinn M. Daley, admitted to Deputy Smith that he had indeed dropped off two subjects in the area who were stealing from motor vehicles.
Fifteen minutes later, Deputy Slawek Czupryna located a second subject, identified as 19 year old Austen T. Wood, in the 300 block of Ash Parkway. For an extended period of time, deputies continued searching for the third subject by following footprints in the freshly fallen snow. At 4:06 AM, Deputy Austin Wells located the third subject, identified as 24 year old Dominic M. Jones, in the area of US 421 and SR 2. All three were all arrested and transported to the La Porte County Jail. All three subjects were charged with Theft. Additionally, Wood and Jones were charged with Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle, B-Misdemeanor. It was also determined Jones is a wanted person (Failure to Appear arrest warrant) by the St. Joseph Police Department. All three subjects remained housed in the La Porte County Jail.
In total, 65 stolen articles, $82.00 dollars, and $5.82 in loose change was recovered. The recovered stolen property is estimated to be worth approximately $2,600.00. Citizens are urged to remove valuable personal property from motor vehicles and to secure their vehicles at all times. Arrests and criminal charges are mere accusations. Every person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.