Account manager accused of stealing

VALPARAISO | A Chesterton woman was charged Wednesday with stealing $12,508 from her client while working at a Valparaiso business.

Kathryn Barber, 45, of 712 Taft St., was charged with felony theft. She faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

Police said she worked for 1st American Management, 3408 Enterprise Ave., Valparaiso, and had sole responsibility for the Pima Management account. While managing the account, police said, she used client funds to pay her Sprint, Comcast and NIPSCO bills.

Cops: Man confined, beat woman and girl

VALPARAISO | A Gary man was charged Monday with 12 criminal offenses after he was accused of forcing his way into a Valparaiso woman's apartment, then confining the woman and a 12-year-old girl in the home.

He also is accused of beating the woman and child, threatening to kill them, and stealing their cell phones and the woman's vehicle during the incident Friday.

The man, Daniel J. Thomas, 21, was charged with one count each of residential entry, vehicle theft and interfering with reporting a crime; three counts of theft; and two counts each of criminal confinement, intimidation and battery.

He faces up to 37 years in prison if convicted.

84-year-old accused of driving car illegally

CENTER TOWNSHIP | Porter County police said an 84-year-old woman, who hadn't had a driver's license for nearly 30 years because her husband drove her around, decided to drive without a license after her husband's recent death.

Police said the woman, Gerda Henze, of Valparaiso, was driving about a mile from her home when she rear-ended the car in front of her, sending it into the back of another car. Police she then bumped the car in front of her a second time, causing it to bump the other car again.

The crashes occurred at 7:48 a.m. Tuesday on Ind. 2, near County Road 100 West. Police said the cars that were struck were stopped for a red light. Henze was ticketed for not having a license.

A 14-year-old girl who was a passenger in the first car that was rear-ended was the only person injured. She complained of back pain.

Police: Man caught with stolen money

VALPARAISO | Valparaiso police officer Eric McClain said he was in the area of Glendale Boulevard and Washington Street at 4 a.m. Tuesday when he saw a man in dark clothing walk across the street.

The officer, having responded to the area earlier to investigate a report of a person walking away from a van that had its dome light on, decided to question the man.

The man, Jeffery Revers, 26, of 414 Glendale Blvd., Valparaiso, was found to have a jar of coins in his possession. Police said he admitted stealing the $54.34 worth of coins from a car. Revers denied other items in his possession were stolen, police said.

Arrested on a theft charge and a warrant, Revers told police, "I'm at a low point in my life. I was just trying to find some money for my parents."

Man charged with not supporting child

VALPARAISO | A Valparaiso man was charged Wednesday with felony failure to provide child support.

Brian Bonzani, 45, of 1301 Lind Lane, is accused of failing to pay more than $20,000 to support his daughter between 2001 and 2008. Court records state he has been arrested several times for failure to appear in court and failure to comply with a court order.

Employee accused of stealing from store

PORTAGE | A Portage woman was charged Wednesday with stealing $8,000 from Wal-Mart in Portage while working there in 2007 and 2008.

Karen Moore, 35, of 5492 Aspen Ave., faces up to three years in prison if convicted.

CHESTERTON

TUESDAY

Check deception. An official at El Salto Restaurant, 757 Indian Boundary Road, told police the restaurant cashed a $1,000 check for a regular customer, but a stop payment had been put on the check. The suspect was reported to have left for Florida.

Vandalism. Joe's Towing, 111 Waverly Road, reported someone cut two portions of the fence.

SOUTH HAVEN

TUESDAY

Theft. Clear Creek Drive resident Diana Lewis told police someone broke into her vehicle and stole a $120 phone and a $100 stereo faceplate.

UNION TOWNSHIP

TUESDAY

Theft. Crafter Corp., of Mokena, Ill., reported someone forced entry into an enclosed trailer at a construction site on Liberty Lakes Drive in Union Township and stole an $800 generator, a $100 air compressor, $2,130 worth of tools and other items.

VALPARAISO

TUESDAY

Arrest. Jeffery Howder, 24, of Valparaiso, was arrested on an auto theft charge after he was accused of stealing a Mercury Mystique belonging to his ex-girlfriend's mother, Patricia Ferguson, of Truman Avenue in Valparaiso. Police said Howder took the car, saying it was "payment" for work he did on the car and on Ferguson's house.

ARRESTS

Tuesday to Wednesday

Alcohol charge | Benjamin Wright, 18, 2410 Superior, Portage

Battery | Kenney Wesley Jr., 43, 2900 Gleneagles Blvd., Valparaiso; Andres Cadena, 25, 625 Camelot Manor, Portage; Elisha Brown, 24, 6435 Evergreen, Portage

Battery, alcohol charge | Felicia Williamson, 19, 2410 Superior, Portage

Burglary | Anthony Weeks, 20, 5981 Sunrise, Portage

Conversion, hold | Phillip Ritter, 26, Michigan City

Driving while suspended | Felicita Ayalam 25, 2005 Yorktowne Drive, Valparaiso

Drunken driving | Sergio Aguilar, 35, 2959 Airport, Portage

Drunken driving, alcohol charge | Adrian Zuniga, 19, 2640 Bogey Blvd., Chesterton

Failure to appear | Quinetta Thomas, 24, Indianapolis; Jeremiah Garner, 20, Sumava Resort

Home detention violation | Shirley Fairwell, 43, Monticello

Invasion of privacy | Dan Anderson, 26, 110 Woodlawn Ave., Chesterton

Residential entry, criminal mischief | Travis Wheat, 26, 71 W. U.S. 6, Chesterton

Residential entry, battery | Michael Perez, 34, 1105 Camelot Manor, Portage

Strangulation, battery | Janice Hartman, 44, Hammond

Theft | Megan Aimutis, 23, 2902 Winchester Drive, Valparaiso; Jeffery Howder, 24, 302 Elkwood Court, Valparaiso

Theft, conversion | Richard Hill, 18, 5622 Old Porter Road, Portage

Theft, public intoxication, conversion | James Stalion, 67, 5985 Waldorf, Valparaiso