Law and Order Lake County
August 16, 2012 4:38PM
Hebron
Pair charged in home burglary
Two men arrested shortly after a Hebron man confronted them at his home have been charged with burglary.
Peter Baloski, 28, of Lowell, and James Deweese, 29, of Crown Point, were apprehended Tuesday afternoon.
Homeowner Thomas McNorton told Lake County Detective Michelle Dvorscak he arrived at his house in the 15400 block of Clay Street and saw an unfamiliar car and noticed his French doors were open.
He struck one man outside the house and went in to find a second man holding a jar of coins, the probable cause affidavit states. He fought with that man, too, and kept him there while he called police and waited for hem to arrive.
Lowell police knew the two men and directed Lake County police to Baloski’s home where he was arrested.
Baloski said he and Deweese “have drug problems” and admitted going to the victim’s house, the probable cause affidavit states.
East Chicago
Teen gets probation for burglary
A 19-year-old East Chicago man was placed on probation for three years for burglary.
Anthony Demetrius Winters admitted he burglarized a home Sept. 17, 2010 in the 6500 block of California Avenue by entering through a window. Winters, who was 17 at the time, stole several items, including a laptop computer, Wii game system and jewelry.
Winters had faced six to 20 years on the original burglary charge, which was dismissed.
Munster
Police use sting to catch wallet thief
A Riverdale, Ill., woman has been charged after Munster police went undercover to catch a wallet thief.
Star Laneata Davis, 43, was charged in Lake Superior Court with theft after Police Chief Stephen Scheckel witnessed a theft at Panera Bread, 8131 Calumet Ave. Scheckel, other officers and a civilian employee set up a sting.
At about 12:18 p.m. Aug. 9, two women walked in and immediately sat at a table behind the civilian employee who had left a purse on the back of her chair. Davis took off her white coat, reached into the purse and removed something, the probable cause affidavit states. Both women then left.
The wallet containing about $10 was stolen from the purse.
The woman who was with Davis told police an unknown man drove them from Chicago to Munster and dropped them off in the Panera Bread parking lot.
The charge is punishable by a maximum three-year sentence.
Davis is free on bond.
