Law and Order Porter County

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Mandi Howerton. | Provided Photo~Sun-Times Media ptmet

Updated: February 29, 2012 8:04AM

PORTAGE

Missed school leads
to arrest of mother

Mandi Howerton, 31, of Portage, was arrested for felony neglect of a dependent after staff at Central Elementary School took note of a 7-year-old boy’s alarming comments. According to the police report, the boy said he missed school Wednesday because he could not wake up his mother. He also said he often has to make his own dinner because his mother takes medicine to sleep and spends a lot of time “staring at the TV.”

The school attempted to contact Howerton to set up a weekend meal program for the child. When she did not answer her phone, at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday, police went to the home in the 5900 block of Marbella and found the woman seemingly intoxicated and mostly unresponsive. There was a 2-year-old child Howerton was babysitting in the home, and Howerton admitted to taking more than her prescribed amount of Vicodin and to smoking synthetic marijuana. In addition to neglect, Howerton is charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

CHESTERTON

Bicyclist injured
in second crash

Two crashes happened within two minutes of each other Thursday at Calumet Road and Wabash Avenue.

No one was injured in the first incident, at 5:03 p.m., when an eastbound 2002 Dodge Stratus turning north onto Calumet struck a northbound 1999 Toyota Camry turning west onto Wabash.

Jim Boyle, 27, of Chesterton, was taken by ambulance to Porter hospital for shoulder, arm and abdomen pain after the second crash, at 5:05 p.m. Police said Leonard Jandowski, 61, of Chesterton, was turning north onto Calumet when he struck Boyle, who was riding a bicycle south.

VALPARAISO

Copper thief risked electrocution

An unknown person risked electrocution to steal copper wiring from the former Star Express Motel, at 760 Morthland Drive, which is being renovated. A NIPSCO worker, who estimated the utility’s loss at the exterior service box at $2,500, told police the thief had to have a working knowledge of the system or they likely would have been injured or killed since there was power to it.

The building’s owner then found a window had been removed from the back of the building and drywall also was removed so wiring could be taken from between the transformer and the main circuit breaker. His damage was estimated at $15,000. The theft happened between Jan. 19 and Thursday.

PORTER COUNTY

Nothing missing after home break-in

A home in the 100 East block of South County Road 700 was broken into between 5 p.m. Wednesday and 7 p.m. Thursday. The resident found the front door of the home standing open - it may have been accessible due to a damaged door frame — but nothing missing, police said.