Law and Order Porter County

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Updated: February 22, 2012 5:11PM

CHESTERTON

Car cleaned out after crash, tow

A Bloomington man reported, through his insurance agent, that luggage and property worth nearly $443,000 were stolen from his vehicle after it was towed following a vehicle crash. He discovered the items missing when he was released from the hospital, according to the police report made by a Bloomington-based insurance agent last week on behalf of the man, who reportedly did not contact police himself because of a language barrier. Police did not indicate the date of the crash or when the reported theft was discovered.

Teen on phone or racing crashed

A 17-year-old male from Chesterton drove off Roberts Road at about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, crashing into a house in the 300 block of Carmody. The teen reportedly said he lost control of the 2006 Nissan Titan when he dropped his iPhone, according to police, and witnesses said he appeared to be racing a small red vehicle. There were no injuries, but damages are estimated between $10,000 and $25,000.

Online loan really international scam

A 61-year-old Chesterton woman told police Tuesday that she was defrauded of $200 after applying for a loan online. The victim said loan representatives told her to buy two, $100 rechargeable debit cards, give them the information, and then the value of the loan would be put on the cards. Instead, she found the balance she paid for the cards had been removed. When she called the company to complain and said she was calling local police, according to the report, company representatives told her they were in India.

PORTER COUNTY

Craigslist rental ad was a scam

A man going by the name “James Hogan” was posing as a landlord on Craigslist, attempting to rent a four-bedroom, four-bath house on Woodruft Drive for $1,000 a month, including utilities. The real homeowners, who are attempting to sell the house, learned of the scam Tuesday — a potential renter showed up to see the “rental” because she thought the deal was suspiciously good. The couple’s real estate agent also had been getting calls about the rental ad, police said, in which “Hogan” gave an elaborate reason for leaving the house and renting rather than selling.

The potential renter told police she was in contact with “Hogan” by email and had not yet sent him a check. The ad has since been removed from Craigslist, where it had been posted since at least Feb. 17.

Two men in bloody fight over woman

When two men arrived at about the same time Tuesday night to visit a 30-year-old rural Porter Township woman, they got into a fight in front of her home on Hillcrest Lane.

The woman, who told police she did not want either her ex-husband or her estranged boyfriend on the property, said she told them to leave so did not intervene when she saw them fighting at about 11 p.m. Police found a substantial amount of blood.

The boyfriend, a 35-year-old rural Valparaiso man, ended up at the Porter hospital emergency room with a portion of his upper lip hanging off his mouth and loose upper teeth. The woman told police her ex-husband, William Gulley, 31, of Lakes of the Four Seasons, appeared to have a broken hand, but police could not locate him. They asked prosecutors to charge Gulley with misdemeanor battery.

Revolver stolen during gun show

A $700 Smith and Wesson revolver was reported stolen during a gun show Saturday at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division Road. A 41-year-old man from Churubusco, Ind., told police the weapon was taken from his display around 11 a.m.

Burglar targets vacant house

Between 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday, an unknown person broke into a vacant house in the 1600 block of Graham Drive, northeast of Chesterton, the property owner told police. A door was forced open, there were tire tracks in the lawn and a 2-gallon gas can was stolen, according to the police report.

LAKES OF THE FOUR SEASONS

Man seen walking away from home

A resident believes that at about 2 p.m. Monday, someone tried to break into her house, in the 1700 block of Broadacre Road. She returned home at that time and saw a thin man in a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt near the home, appearing to walk away from it. Several hours later, she discovered a window screen at the back off the house had been pushed in and there was damage to a storm door.

Valparaiso

Teen arrested for taking whiskey

David Wozniak, 18, of rural Valparaiso, was arrested for felony theft and misdemeanor underage drinking, after allegedly stealing a bottle of whiskey. The incident reportedly happened at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday at Wal-Mart, 2400 Morthland Drive, and police said Wozniak had alcohol on his breath.

Portage

SWAT team arrests man on warrant

The Portage SWAT team entered a mobile home in the 1300 block of Camelot Manor to arrest John Cope, 50, on a warrant for a felony charge of failure to appear for driving with a suspended license. During the arrest at about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, police found drug paraphernalia out in the open, but no additional charges were filed immediately.