LAPORTE

Police seeking man in connection to robbery

Police in LaPorte are looking for a "person of interest" in connection with Friday's bank robbery.

The individual is identified as Jason Guill, 31, of LaPorte.

Police are saying only that they would like to speak with Guill as part of the investigation into the robbery at the Northern Indiana Federal Credit Union in the 600 block of State Street.

The robber, who did not display a weapon, fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, LaPorte police Chief of Detectives Clyde Crass said.

Crass said there's no link with the hold up last month at LaPorte Savings Bank on Johnson Road near Michigan City.

No arrests have been made in that robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to contact LaPorte Police at (219) 362-9446 or Crime Stoppers at (574) 288-STOP.

LAPORTE

Boy left alone, charges sought against father

A LaPorte man could go to jail in connection with his 3-year-old son being left alone outside in the cold.

LaPorte police said an arrest warrant is being sought against 31-year-old Nathan Konieczny on a charge of Class D felony neglect of a dependent.

Police were called Friday to Speedway at 1107 W. Ind. 2 after the store manager, Sue Jansen, found the boy in a shopping cart outside the building.

It had been raining and she brought the boy inside from the cold, police said.

About 20 minutes later, police said Konieczny returned to get his son.

According to police, Konieczny explained he had taken his son to Kmart on the citys west side and met up with some friends.

The group later went to Speedway and Konieczny said he left the boy with friends to go across the highway to Burger King.

He told officer Vincent Bowman he did not know where his friends had gone or why they left the boy alone.

According to police, the findings of the investigation will be presented to prosecutors to decide whether to go ahead and pursue the child neglect charge.

A copy of the police report also will be presented to child protective services for possible action, police said.

LAPORTE

Companies donate $3K in repairs for Christmas

LaPorte will be glistening with Christmas lights after all.

After announcing Thursday the city had no money to repair 20 to 30 in ground electrical outlets to burn the lights, Mayor Kathy Chroback said two electrical companies volunteered to make the more than $3,000 in repairs at no cost.

The firms did not want to be disclosed, she said.

Chroback said donations also came in to purchase the lights to be hung in the trees along Lincolnway and other streets in the downtown.

She said LaPorte buys new lights each year because of vandalism and strands having bulbs burn out during the course of every holiday season.

She expects the lights to be strung and operating by the end of this week.

LAPORTE

Family offering reward in shooting of horse

A LaPorte area family is offering a cash reward in hopes of finding out who fatally shot their 5-year-old Belgian draft horse.

"Ben" was part of a team of draft horses owned by Brian and Sue Satoski, who use the animals to offer wagon rides every fall at Garwood Orchards and other places in the LaPorte area.

"They didn't just kill a horse. They killed part of our family," said Sue Satoski.

Sunday about 8:30 a.m., she said her husband went out to feed the family's two draft horses and three riding horses on their property at 3801 S. 650 West.

He immediately notified Sue on his cell phone upon discovering Ben dead from a gunshot wound between the eyes.

Circumstances leading up to the slaying are not known but Sue speculated that somebody in a vehicle probably stopped and fired the shot.

She would not disclose how much the family is offering but flyers revealing the cash incentive are being posted.

LaPorte County police Chief of Detectives John Boyd said there were no suspects.