CHESTERTON

Police: Man accused of taking ATM identified

Chesterton police said the person who used a pickup truck and a chain to drag away a Fifth Third Bank ATM a year ago has been identified thanks to a fingerprint and a drop of blood he left at the scene.

Brian J. Beechin, 34, of Crown Point, was charged Wednesday with burglary, criminal mischief and theft. He faces as many as 14 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

Police said Beechin broke into Fifth Third Bank's brick out building at 4th and Broadway on the morning of July 26, 2007. The building houses an ATM and Beechin is accused of tying a chain around the machine and using a pickup truck to pull the machine away.

Police said the building sustained more than $2,500 damage during the burglary. A witness saw a white truck around the bank on the morning of the building and another witness saw a white pickup truck pulling what appeared to be a washing machine.

Police laboratory testing later matched Beechin, a convicted offender, to blood and a fingerprint at the scene.

VALPARAISO

Man accused of pointing a shotgun at man, child

Felony charges of criminal recklessness and pointing a firearm were filed Wednesday against a Valparaiso man accused of pointing a shotgun at a man who was holding a 1-year-old child.

Charged was Wesley J. Cotton, 22.

Police said the victim, Robert Hoyne, went with his 1-year-old son to 606 Center Street on Sept. 25 to talk to his girlfriend, who is the child's mother. Hoyne stated Cotton answered the door and pointed a gun at him, stating the girlfriend didn't want to talk to him. The girlfriend then came out and disarmed Cotton, police said.

SOUTH HAVEN

Man faces charge of criminal recklessness

A South Haven man accused of firing four shots into the air outside his apartment on the afternoon of Nov. 8 was charged Wednesday with criminal recklessness.

Dwayne Reid, of 785 Juniper Road, Apt. 102, is accused of putting residents of Oxford Apartments at risk by firing a .45-caliber pistol.

VALPARAISO

Police say man commits last crime before prison

Valparaiso police said a man, who was about to go to prison, decided to commit one last crime, stealing $3,050 worth of video games, movies and other items from a Valparaiso woman he knows.

Raymond Pittman, 32, of Westville Correctional Center, was charged Wednesday with felony theft. He is accused of stealing from Misty Nelson in May. Police said Pittman committed the theft because of drugs.

VALPARAISO

Cops: Drunken woman battered police officer

A Crown Point woman was arrested on public intoxication and battery to law enforcement charges after a disturbance Thursday night at her former boyfriend's Valparaiso home.

Amy Page, 32, was arrested about 11 p.m. Thursday on Lupine Circle.

Page's former boyfriend called police to report that Page was banging on his door and being extremely loud. Police said Page pushed an officer in an attempt to approach her former boyfriend. Police said she repeatedly kicked and swung her arms at officers.

CHESTERTON

THURSDAY

Vandalism. Laura Lane resident Robert Frank II reported someone slashed all four tires on his car, causing $200 damage.

PORTAGE

THURSDAY

Theft. Diane Street resident Peter Colakovic reported the theft of a $1,000 laptop computer with power cord.

Theft. Valparaiso resident Mellody Newport reported a $200 curio cabinet stolen from an apartment on Lighthouse Drive in Portage.

Vandalism. Portage resident Chino Reyna reported someone shot the driver's side window of his truck with a BB gun while he was southbound on County Line Road, approaching Stone Avenue, shortly before 6:30 p.m. The damage is $100.

Vehicle theft. Carolyn Shields, of the 500 block of Indigo, reported the theft of a gray two-door 2000 Mercury Cougar worth $4,995.

SOUTH HAVEN

THURSDAY

Fraud. Baltimore Road resident Judith Clark reported she received a call from someone claiming to be with her insurance company, telling her she was late on her car insurance payment and that she needed to provide her debit card information to take care of the bill. After she provided the information, she thought it might be a scam. She checked and saw a fraudulent $172 charge.

ARRESTS

Nov. 13-14

Alcohol charge | Adom Silberman, 18, 389 N. 325 E., Valparaiso

Battery | Gary Finney, 63, 717 McCool Road, Valparaiso; Rashad Bridges, 23, 3304 Delta, Portage

Battery, public intoxication | Amy Page, 32, Crown Point

Check deception | Timothy Bailey, 41, Michigan City

Deception, hold | Jamie Diviney, 24, Michigan City

Drug paraphernalia, failure to appear | Ronald Wathern, 44, 6914 Old Porter, Portage

Drunken driving | Kelly Gooch, 44, DeMotte; Callie Nelson, 40, 1000 N. 350 E., Chesterton

Driving while suspended | Lori Knight, 39, 329 Franklin St., Porter

Failure to appear | Kyle Evensen, 32, 2301 Thomas Road, Valparaiso; Raul Barquera, 41, Chicago

Leaving the scene of an accident, drunken driving | Steven Cates, 28, Hobart

Resisting law enforcement, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief | Tasha McCurdy, 22, 1012 S. 22nd St., Chesterton

Revocation of probation | Dewey Camp, 32, Hobart

Theft | Melody Rosselot, 25, 1167 Abbey Lane, Chesterton

Theft, false reporting | James Jones, 21, 214 Valley Drive, Portage