Latest news with #PortagePolice
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Police in Wisconsin arrest two teens in connection to multiple burglaries
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (WFRV) – Two 17-year-olds are now in custody after being arrested by police on Thursday in connection with multiple burglaries in Wisconsin, authorities say. According to a release from the Sun Prairie Police Department, cases of burglary and theft-from-auto cases were on the rise throughout the months of June and July. Wisconsin police department issues alert for armed & dangerous stabbing suspect Police say they worked to identify patterns, gather evidence, and connect related incidents, leading to the City of Portage Police Department making the eventual arrests on Thursday of two 17-year-old suspects. 17-year-old Gavin Schultz from Portage was arrested and is being held at the Dane County Jail on the following charges: 2 counts – Burglary 2 counts – Fraudulent Use of a Transaction Card (Attempt) 1 count – Burglary (Attempt) 1 count – Burglary – Occupied Dwelling (Party to a Crime) 1 count – Theft 17-year-old Celeste Nordness from Sun Prairie was arrested and is being held at the Dane County Jail on the following charges: 1 count – Burglary (Party to a Crime) 1 count – Burglary – Occupied Dwelling (Party to a Crime) 1 count – Receiving Stolen Property All charges listed are being referred to the Dane County District Attorney's Office. The Sun Prairie Police Department remains committed to protecting the community and providing closure for victims and their families. The thorough investigative work and attention to detail by our officers allowed us to identify the suspects and bring these cases to a resolution much sooner. The Sun Prairie Police Department No other information is available; however, officials say residents are encouraged to remain alert and report any suspicious activity. The 2025 Wisconsin State Fair by the numbers Police add that simple steps like locking vehicles, removing valuables from sight, and securing home doors and windows help reduce the opportunities for crime. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
22-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Prosecutors ask for bond increase for man charged in Portage murder later arrested on gun charges
The Porter County Prosecutor's office is asking a judge to increase the bond to $25,000 cash for Montrell McLaurin Jr., charged in a Portage murder and released on his own recognizance before being picked up twice for reportedly having a handgun. 'McLaurin continues to drive around this County while possessing firearms, which is something he is clearly prohibited from doing under Indiana Law,' since he was charged in Porter County with allegedly killing someone with a firearm, documents state. 'McLaurin is a danger to the citizens of this County and his Bond should reflect this increased danger he poses.' Deputy Prosecutor John Holmen filed the petition Friday, the day after McLaurin, 21, of Portage, was arrested by deputies with the Porter County Sheriff's Department during a routine traffic stop in which he was the driver. Police reportedly found a Glock 31C handgun under the passenger seat and within McLaurin's reach, according to court documents. Police also recovered a Diamond DB 15 firearm from the vehicle, and he was charged with two Class A misdemeanor counts of unlawful carrying of a handgun. McLaurin, according to court documents, was also arrested by Portage Police on May 22 on misdemeanor counts of unlawful carrying of a handgun and marijuana possession, and was released on $800 bond. McLaurin is out on pre-trial release for the April 29, 2024, murder of Darion Anderson in Portage. McLaurin allegedly killed Anderson 'with a Drako firearm that fires powerful 7.62 cartridges,' documents state. 'This Murder weapon was recently found by the Chicago Police Department during an arrest of juveniles in the City of Chicago.' He was charged with murder, murder in perpetration of a robbery and attempted robbery in that case. Prosecutors have requested a firearms enhancement for the charges. He has pleaded not guilty. McLaurin filed a motion for an early trial release on July 26, 2024, and was released on his own recognizance on Sept. 25, because his trial was not going to occur within a 180-day window after his arrest, as required by state law. Holmen, in his petition to increase bond, notes that a defendant is not entitled to release without bond when 'the arrestee is on pretrial release for an offense that is not related to the incident that is the basis for the present arrest.' The state can be granted a bail alteration when there is 'a showing of good cause' to support changing bail, documents state. 'It is the State's position that good cause exists based on the Defendant arrests for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm while being on pre-trial release for the same offense, and while also on release for the serious offense of Murder,' documents state. The state has already filed a motion to revoke bond in the May case, which had not been ruled on when the petition to increase bond was filed. A hearing on the motion to revoke bond from the May arrest is slated for Aug. 5 before Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Thode. A bail review hearing for the most recent charges is scheduled for July 29 before Porter Superior Court Judge Rebecca Buitendorp, according to online court records. McLaurin is scheduled for trial in the murder case on Oct. 6 in Buitendorp's court.
Chicago Tribune
17-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Porter County 911 dispatchers get closure after meeting Matt Reum, trapped in his pickup for six days
It takes a special person not only to do the job of the 911 dispatcher, remaining cool under pressure for 12-hour shifts, but also to accept not knowing what becomes of the people you're helping after your colleagues arrive on scene and the call ends. Wednesday afternoon in celebration of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Porter County E911 dispatchers enjoyed some rare closure with a visit from the survivior of one of the more dramatic emergencies they've worked and the men who found him. Matt Reum, of South Bend, was found by two fishermen under the Salt Creek Bridge on westbound Interstate 80/94 on the afternoon of Dec. 26, 2023, having been pinned by the engine block of his pickup truck for six days. Mario Garcia, of Hobart, and his son-in-law Nivardo De La Torre, of Portage, saw his barely-visible truck thanks to late-afternoon sun glinting off the metal. Upon closer investigation they found Reum inside and unconscious. 'I just seen the airbag and then I got the chills,' Garcia said. Reum soon woke up and was very happy to see them having survived on water he filtered through a pair of sweatpants as it dripped from a highway drainage pipe just above his sunroof. De La Torre called 911 and got Porter County E911 Dispatch Supervisor Jeremy Nemeth on the line. 'You were an amazing caller!' Nemeth praised him as De La Torre's wife, children, and mother-in-law looked on. 'He used a really revolutionary technology to locate you,' E911 Director Debby Gunn told De La Torre. 'It's called Rapid SOS.' Reum said he didn't realize how hard the terrain his truck had rolled down until he visited the site last month. Firefighters had to cut a path through brush to get to him. 'Looking at the pictures and everything, that was a complex rescue,' Nemeth agreed of the scene handled by Portage Police and Fire and Burns Harbor Fire Department. Nemeth said it was random that he picked up the call that day and everyone in the dispatch center helped out on the call. 'It literally takes the whole team to get this accomplished,' he said. 'We're always helping each other out.' 'Jeremy's a unicorn. Aside from a dispatcher, he's also a volunteer firefighter,' Gunn said of Nemeth, who was voted Dispatcher of the Year by his peers. Despite 13 years as a dispatcher and 12 as a volunteer firefighter with the Lakes of the Four Seasons Volunteer Fire Force, Reum's visit was the first time Nemeth got to follow up with someone he'd assisted. 'A lot of calls, we never know what happens in the end,' he said. While follow-up stories in The Post-Tribune documented Reum's survival, it was touch and go for a bit following his rescue. 'The firefighters, they didn't think I was going to make it to the hospital once the engine was taken off my legs,' he said. Reum survived being airlifted and a stay in intensive care that included the amputation of his left leg at the knee. He had 18 breaks to bones of his right hand and had reconstructive surgery last month to repair tears to every ligament in his thumb, as well as muscle tears. He still has to have a rod in his hand removed, but that hasn't stopped him from taking up writing. Reum published a book, 'Still Standing: The Seven Miracles of Matthew Reum.' That has led to some speaking engagements that have helped fill the days as the former boilermaker ponders a new career. 'Workwise, I can't physically do like I did before,' said the 28-year-old, who has a long life ahead that he hopes will include the launch of a non-profit to provide prosthetic limbs to the homeless. 'I don't think anybody can go through something like this and not have an appreciation for life,' he said. And for those who helped save it. 'I don't think there's enough ways for languages to say, 'Thank you,'' Reum said.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Portage ambulance, SUV involved in wreck; two medics, other driver injured
Two Portage medics complained of pain after the ambulance they were riding in was struck by a sport utility vehicle Wednesday afternoon that was driving too fast for snow-covered roads, according to police. The two medics, and another two medics who also were in the ambulance, were transported to the hospital for evaluation. The ambulance was returning to the fire station at the time and no patients were inside, according to a release from Portage Police. The SUV driver, a 36-year-old man from Hobart, was not wearing a seatbelt, police said, and he suffered a serious head injury, though he is expected to survive. Officers responded around 2:43 p.m. Feb. 12 to the area of the Willowcreek Bypass south of Chrisman Road for a report of a collision involving a Portage Fire Department ambulance, police said. Initial reports indicate that a white 2013 Chevrolet Equinox was southbound over the Willowcreek Bypass at an unsafe speed for the roads, police said. 'The combination of excessive speed and snow-covered roads caused the driver of the SUV to lose control and cross the center line into the northbound lanes,' police said. The SUV sideswiped a northbound delivery truck before striking the ambulance, which was northbound in the outside lane, head-on. The driver of the SUV was thrown from the driver's seat into the passenger side of his vehicle during the collision, police said, and suffered a serious head injury that rendered him unconscious. Several medical helicopters were requested but could not fly because of the weather conditions. The driver of the SUV was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The Chevrolet Equinox and the ambulance were both towed from the scene due to disabling damage. The Willowcreek Bypass was closed to all traffic for approximately an hour and a half before being reopened. The Portage Street Department assisted in setting up barricades to keep traffic out of the area during the investigation.
Chicago Tribune
13-02-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Portage ambulance, SUV involved in wreck; two medics, other driver injured
Two Portage medics complained of pain after the ambulance they were riding in was struck by a sport utility vehicle Wednesday afternoon that was driving too fast for snow-covered roads, according to police. The two medics, and another two medics who also were in the ambulance, were transported to the hospital for evaluation. The ambulance was returning to the fire station at the time and no patients were inside, according to a release from Portage Police. The SUV driver, a 36-year-old man from Hobart, was not wearing a seatbelt, police said, and he suffered a serious head injury, though he is expected to survive. Officers responded around 2:43 p.m. Feb. 12 to the area of the Willowcreek Bypass south of Chrisman Road for a report of a collision involving a Portage Fire Department ambulance, police said. Initial reports indicate that a white 2013 Chevrolet Equinox was southbound over the Willowcreek Bypass at an unsafe speed for the roads, police said. 'The combination of excessive speed and snow-covered roads caused the driver of the SUV to lose control and cross the center line into the northbound lanes,' police said. The SUV sideswiped a northbound delivery truck before striking the ambulance, which was northbound in the outside lane, head-on. The driver of the SUV was thrown from the driver's seat into the passenger side of his vehicle during the collision, police said, and suffered a serious head injury that rendered him unconscious. Several medical helicopters were requested but could not fly because of the weather conditions. The driver of the SUV was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The Chevrolet Equinox and the ambulance were both towed from the scene due to disabling damage. The Willowcreek Bypass was closed to all traffic for approximately an hour and a half before being reopened. The Portage Street Department assisted in setting up barricades to keep traffic out of the area during the investigation.
