Law and Order Lake County

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Updated: February 15, 2012 5:16PM

Hammond

Six years for burglary, shooting

Lake Superior Court Judge Salvador Vasquez sentenced a Hammond man to six years in prison for burglary and criminal recklessness.

Arthen Gilmore Jr. admitted he broke into a home May 4 in Hammond, causing damage to the door and inside of the residence.

In addition, Gilmore admitted he was in a Hammond neighborhood on July 9 when he shot outside a party and struck Lacaro Delgado-Gonzalez and Marcus Smith, who suffered serious bodily injury.

Vasquez imposed a two-year sentence on each of the criminal recklessness charges and ordered them served concurrently, but consecutive to the four-year sentence for burglary.

East Chicago

Man accused of sex battery with teen

A Hammond man has been charged in Lake Superior Court with sexual misconduct with a minor, confinement and sexual battery involving a 14-year-old girl last summer.

Parris Davon Edward Tillotson, 21, is charged with grabbing the girl July 23 at a family member’s home on Fir Street in East Chicago. The girl told police Tillotson pushed her up against a wall, held her against her will and pressed his body against hers, forcing his genitals against hers. The girl kept trying to push Tillotson off her and he eventually moved. She informed her mother, who called police.

The charges are punishable by a maximum three-year sentence

Crown Point

Hit-and-run crash draws OWI charge

A 22-year-old Cedar Lake woman is facing charges after a hit-and-run accident at about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday with a utility pole that damaged the front end of the car and flattened one of the tires.

Ashley F. Reader, 22, of Cedar Lake, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering and with a blood-alcohol content more than .15 percent, possession of marijuana and failure of duty for leaving the scene after police discovered her and the disabled vehicle near the intersection of Joliet and Horst streets.

Hobart

Man says arrest was a ‘blessing’

Lake Superior Court Judge Salvador Vasquez sentenced a Hobart man to four years in prison for a bank robbery.

Kevin Joseph Kopack, 29, who admitted he robbed the Fifth Third Bank, 701 W. Old Ridge Road, Hobart, after handing a teller a note and demanding money or he would shoot, told the judge he was lucky to be alive.

“This is really a blessing in disguise,” said Kopack, who has struggled with heroin addiction. Kopack apologized for his actions. His plea agreement outlined the sentence.

MERRILLVILLE

Two men sought in armed robbery

Police are searching for two men who robbed an Auto Zone at gunpoint Tuesday night.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., employees told police two black men walked into the business with their faces covered, displaying handguns and demanding money. The employees handed over an undisclosed amount of money and the men fled the store on foot.

The employees and customers inside the store were not injured during the incident.

Both men were described as having a thin build, but one was about 6 feet tall and the other around 5 feet 7 inches tall.

Detective Jim Lilley said police are still trying to determine if this robbery is related to a similar incident Monday night at the KFC on Broadway, where the lone robber was wearing a blue bandanna over his face.