On February 4, 2024, at 5:58 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 call from a residence in the 7900 block of South 1100 West where the caller advised that their neighbor was actively attempting to break into their residence. Multiple law enforcement officers were dispatched to the residence and while enroute the caller identified the neighbor as 47 year old Timothy Dowdy of rural Owensville and advised that Mr. Dowdy was intoxicated and was out in the yard shooting a firearm.
Upon arriving at the residence it was discovered that Mr. Dowdy had returned to his residence and a short standoff ensued. During the standoff 36 year old Brittany Marginet, who lives with Mr. Dowdy arrived on scene in a 2016 Polaris Off Road Vehicle and advised that Mr. Dowdy may have passed out from alcohol consumption. Ultimately Mr. Dowdy came out of the residence and was taken into custody. While speaking with Ms. Marginet Sergeant Loren Barchett detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath and began a DUI investigation.
Deputy Michael Owens placed Mr. Dowdy into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with:
Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon
Battery
Intimidation
Possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer
Residential Entry
Criminal Mischief.
At the end of his investigation Sgt. Barchett placed Ms. Marginet into custody and she was charged with:
Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated
Neglect of a Dependent
Assisting Officers were Owensville Town Marshal Rodger Leister, Indiana Conservation Officer Matt Clark, and the Indiana State Police.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Princeton man arrested on drug charges and an outstanding warrant
On February 5, 2024, at 1:05 a.m. Deputies with the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office and Officers with the Princeton Police Department went to the 300 block of South Main Street in Princeton to serve an arrest warrant on 33 year old Tyler Keehn of Patoka. Upon arriving at the residence Mr. Keehn was taken into custody and Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were also seized. Deputy Michael Owens transported Mr. Keehn to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia. He is being held on the outstanding failure to appear warrant on a pending charge.
Assisting Deputy Owens in his investigation was Deputy Wyatt Hunt as well as Princeton Officers Zach Strickland and Nick Rainey.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Seriously Injured In Saturday Night Crash
On 02.03.24 at 6:49 p.m. an off-duty Wabash County Sheriff's Deputy came upon a one vehicle crash in 5000th block of Wabash 17 Ave.
Another motorist had stopped and was directed to call 911. Once the on duty deputy arrived it was found that 59 year old Raymond E. Lawson of South Houston Texas, was westbound on Wabash 17 Ave. when the vehicle first left the roadway to the right and then overcorrected to the left. Leaving the roadway, crossing the ditch and traveling across a field with what appeared to be 3 revolutions from the vehicle. Total travel distance was 310 feet.
Approximately 7:37p.m. a Stat Flight helicopter landed on Wabash 17. Patient care was transferred to Stat flight and the helicopter left the scene approximately 20:16 traveling to St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. At that time Glenn's Towing was on scene and Swanson Excavating used a skid steer with pallet forks to lift, move across the field, and loaded the vehicle onto the tow truck. The 2008 Blue Toyota Yaris sustained excessive damage, while Mr. Lawson sustained serious injuries.
Oakland City man arrested on OWI charge after accident investigation
On February 4, 2024, at 5:30 a.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a 911 report of a two vehicle accident on County Road 750 East near County Road 250 South. Upon arriving on scene Deputy Wyatt Hunt began an investigation into the accident. While speaking with the drivers Deputy Hunt detected signs of impairment coming from 48 year old Richard Lord of Oakland City. At that point Deputy Hunt began a roadside DUI investigation. During the investigation Deputy Hunt determined that Mr. Lord crossed the center of the roadway in his 2017 Kia and struck a 2014 Ford Escape. Mr. Lord was ultimately transported to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Assisting Deputy Hunt in his investigation was Sgt. John Fischer.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Arrested At City Park For Underage Drinking & Other Charges
On 2/02/24, at approximately 11pm, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Isaiah T. Turner, age 18, of Allendale for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol & Drugs and Possession/Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor. The arrest stemmed from an officer observing a silver Buick parked near the Kiwanis shelter house at the Mt. Carmel City Park. The officer stopped to check the vehicle when he found Turner in the driver’s seat. Turner admitted to consuming and possessing alcohol and to be under 21 years of age. The officer requested Turner submit to field sobriety testing, which he agreed, and submitted to testing. During testing, the officer noted several clues to indicate that Turner was impaired. Turner was placed under arrest at this time. Inside the vehicle, officers located a clear bag of a suspected narcotics underneath the seat. This substance later field tested positive for cocaine. Furthermore, officers located an assortment of alcoholic beverages inside the vehicle. During this stop, a juvenile male approached Turner’s vehicle and was stopped by an officer. They found that this juvenile had also been consuming alcoholic beverages as well. Both subjects were taken to the Wabash County Jail for processing and then released. A deputy from the Wabash County Sheriff’s Office assisted during the arrest.
Incident On Chestnut Street Leads To DUI Arrest Of Mt. Carmel Man
On 1/29/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Timmy R. Snelling, age 35, of Mt. Carmel for Driving Under the Influence following an incident in the 1100 block of Chestnut Street. Prior to the arrest, police conducted a standby at a residence in this block. Upon leaving, it was alleged that Snelling swerved his 2007 Dodge towards a male subject headed to the residence he just left. A nearby officer heard a male subject yell during this time so he responded to the area to learn of this information. Another officer was stopped by Snelling who claimed the male subject lunged toward him while he was in the roadway. The officer noted Snelling was exhibiting signs of impairment due to his erratic behavior. The officer requested Snelling submit to a roadside sobriety check, which he consented to taking. During the check, the officer noted several clues to indicate impairment on drugs resulting in Snelling’s arrest. Snelling was transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was charged, processed for DUI, and later released on a Notice to Appear.
Missing Cell Phone Leads To Charges For Mt. Carmel Man
On 1/31/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Cole W. Stewart, age 26, of Mt. Carmel for Obstructing Justice and Theft following an incident at a residence in the 500 block of W 1st Street. Police were called to investigate a missing cell phone that belonged to another family member of the phone. During the investigation, Stewart, a resident of the home, claimed the missing cell phone was not present. Eventually, Stewart recovered the phone and turned it over to the rightful owner. After the involved party left, they attempted to use the phone and found that the SIM card was missing from it. The phone was functional before it disappeared. The owner wished to pursue charges regarding the missing SIM card and was allowed to do so. Police returned to the residence and placed Stewart under arrest for the Theft of the SIM card and Obstructing Justice for providing false information to police about the whereabouts of the phone. Stewart was transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was processed and later released on a Notice to Appear in court.
Pair Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charge
On 2/02/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Dakota L.A. Hosick, age 25, and Lacie N. Abell, age 28, both of Mt. Carmel for Cruel Treatment to an Animal following a complaint regarding a malnourished dog located outside of their home in the 900 block of W 5th Street. The day prior police were called to check on a black Pitbull mix that appeared emaciated, with open sores, and inadequate shelter. While on scene, the officer, with the assistance of the local animal shelter, removed the dog from the yard. The owners were not present at the time. On today’s date, the investigating officer made contact with the above individuals and issued each the above charge before releasing them on a Notice to Appear. The dog was surrendered to the shelter and is receiving treatment.
Princeton Man For Failing To Update Sex Offender Registry Info
On 2/02/24, Mt. Carmel Police arrested Randall A. Hoehn, age 49, of Princeton, Indiana for Failure to Register-Sex Offender along with a Wabash County FTA Warrant. Hoehn’s arrest stemmed from a call to the 300 block of West 10th Street, at approximately 1:39a.m., regarding a male subject yelling. When police arrived to the scene, they found Hoehn in the area. Hoehn denied yelling but officers found that Hoehn had an active warrant for his arrest out of Wabash County. Upon further investigation, officers learned that Hoehn had failed to update his address from Patoka to Princeton authorities, as required by law. Furthermore, officers discovered that Hoehn had actually been residing in Mt. Carmel since that time. Hoehn was transported to the Wabash County Jail where he was issued the warrant along with the new charge of failure to register. Hoehn is being held pending a pre-trial detention determination by the court.
Woman Arrested for Murder in Tell City
Perry County – On Saturday night, February 3rd, officers with the Perry County Sheriff’s Office and Tell City Police Department responded to a 911 call of a female stating her boyfriend had just been shot. Officers arrived on the scene and located a male, Aaron Waninger, who was unresponsive. Officers attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful.
Indiana State Police were contacted to aid in the investigation. When detectives arrived, they spoke to Tonya Coomer. During further investigation, detectives determined Coomer had shot Waninger. Coomer was arrested and transported to the Perry County jail where she is being held without bond.
The family of Waninger has been notified and an autopsy will be scheduled. This case is still under investigation.
Arrested and Charges-
Tonya L. Coomer, 51, Tell City, IN
Murder – Level 1 Felony
Criminal Recklessness with a Firearm – Level 5 Felony
Arresting Officers – Detective Sergeant Brock Werne and Detective Joshua Greer
Assisting Agencies – Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Tell City Police Department, Perry County Coroner, and Perry County EMS
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
