Law and Order Lake County

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Updated: February 13, 2012 10:49PM

Merrillville

Man charged with battery of mother

A Merrillville man is free on a $3,000 cash bond after being charged in Lake Superior Court Monday with neglect of a dependent and battery involving his 88-year-old mother.

Jerome Martinez, 56, of the 1500 block of West 62nd Avenue, was arrested after Merrillville police received an anonymous call Dec. 22 asking for a welfare check on the woman.

Police found her with a large bruise around her left eye that extended up toward her left temple and forehead. Police also noted two large red and purple bruises on her lower and upper right arm and another red and purple bruise on her upper left arm.

The woman was taken to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus, where she told police Martinez slapped her and grabbed her arms.

The incident occurred at about 1 p.m. Dec. 21.

HIGHLAND

Business owner gets 33 months

The owner of a Highland business will serve 33 months in prison and forfeit $60,000 after he was found guilty of harboring more than 100 aliens, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Hammond.

Paulino Ascencion-Apolino, 23, of Elkhart, was sentenced after he was arrested last June on suspicion of using fake documents to get vehicle registrations for clients who came to his businesses in Elkhart, Highland and South Bend. His Highland location, Agencia Latina, was at 9219 U.S. 41.

Ascencion-Apolino was sentenced Thursday.

Hammond

Man struck dad with a machete

Battery and other charges have been field against a Hammond man who authorities said struck his father with a machete.

Jason Scott Brogan, 36, of the 6600 block of Jackson Avenue, was charged in Lake Superior Court with battery, battery by body waste and resisting law enforcement in the incident reported at about noon Saturday.

Brogan’s father told police his son became angry at him because of an argument the father had with Brogan’s girlfriend. Brogan went to his room and came back with a pocket knife and pointed it in his face and said, “I’m gonna stick you,” the probable cause affidavit states.

The man called 911, and Brogan went back into his room and returned with a machete, which he started swinging at his father. The man said he put his hands in front of his face and Brogan cut him on the hands with the machete and continued swinging it.

Brogan cursed and spit at officers, bit an officer on the right hand and spit in his face, court records state. Brogan was “snapping his teeth” at the officer when another officer tasered Brogan, which was ineffective. He was tasered a second time and pinned to the floor to be handcuffed.

The officer had scrapes and cuts on his chin, lip, back of the head and knees and cuts on his hands from being bitten.

The charges are punishable by a maximum eight-year sentence.

Crown Point

Co-worker used man’s bank card

Fraud and theft charges have been filed against a 30-year-old LaPorte man after he allegedly stole a bank card from a co-worker and ran up more than $450 in charges.

Frank A. Schwartz, 30, of LaPorte, has been charged with felony fraud and theft and misdemeanor unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle following an investigation by Crown Point Police, according to Police Chief Pete Land.

Land said the theft was reported by the 37-year-old victim Dec. 18 after $470 in unauthorized purchases were charged to his bank account. Crown Point Police Detective Larry Scott was able to review surveillance video from a gas station where one of the purchases was made and the victim was able to identify Schwartz, a co-worker, from that video.

Based on the investigation police said Schwartz allegedly removed the bank card from the victim’s wallet inside his vehicle while they were on the job. He managed to return card back to the victim’s wallet before it was discovered missing.

Cash bond was set at $1,000.