Washington County Sheriff Brent Miller attributed the quick action of property owners who helped law enforcement officers locate and arrest a man who had broken into the couple’s barn.

As a result, Elijah S. Engleking, 33, South Hickory Avenue, was arrested on July 22, 2021, and has been charged with:

• Dealing in methamphetamine, Level 2 felony
• Dealing in heroin, Level 2 felony
• Possession of methamphetamine, Level 3 felony
• Possession of heroin, Level 3 felony
• Burglary, Level 5 felony 
• Carrying a handgun without a license (prior felony), Level 5 felony
• Operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, Level 6 felony
• Theft, Level 6 felony (two counts)
• Possession of paraphernalia, Class A misdemeanor

“The victims, in this case, caught the theft in progress and immediately contacted authorities.  In addition, they were able to collect critical information that led to the suspect’s arrest. Their efforts helped law enforcement and we appreciate it,” said Miller.

The incident began when Jamie and Marnie Bennett reported a theft from their Branaman Road property.

Marnie Bennett caught the theft in progress when she went to the couple’s barn around 7 a.m. July 22.

She called 911 to report a male subject driving away in a red Ford Ranger pickup after she confronted him. She was able to photograph the truck.

The Bennetts posted a photo of the truck and information about the theft on Facebook and the sheriff’s department began receiving tips.

One caller said the truck had been at the Salem Food Mart earlier.

An officer reviewed the store’s surveillance video and determined the driver, truck, and a load of scrap all matched the photos captured by Bennett.

“In this instance, the victims posted information on Facebook, which led to several tips coming in.  These actions also helped to find and secure the suspect,” said Miller. 

Officers received information that the Ford Ranger involved belonged to one of Engleking’s neighbors.

The woman told police that Engleking came over before daylight asking to borrow her truck, which she allowed him to do.

She said the bed of the truck was empty when Engleking took it.

The woman identified the truck from the surveillance video as hers and confirmed the man in the video was Engleking. 

A short while later, officers located Engleking on Hickory Avenue.

The truck had a different license plate and the bed appeared empty.

Both Engleking and a female passenger, Heidi Powers, were arrested.

Powers, 38, West Arrow Road, is charged with:

• Possession of a syringe, Level 6 felony
• Possession of methamphetamine, Level 3 felony
• Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, Level 4 felony
• Dealing in methamphetamine, Level 2 felony
• Dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug, Level 2 felony
• Possession of paraphernalia, Class C misdemeanor

When officers patted Engleking down, they found a holster. He told officers he did not have a gun but just wears a holster sometimes.

Officers later located a Rock Island Armory 1911 .45 caliber pistol under the passenger seat of the truck.

Officers also found several catalytic converters in the truck; one marked “Subaru.”  

A search warrant was issued and during the search, officers located numerous items of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, heroin, and syringes, some of which were filled and uncapped.

When the truck was returned to its rightful owner, she identified several areas of damage, including scratches and dents from the scrap Engleking, had piled in the bed.

Engleking had an initial hearing on July 23, 2021.

He remains incarcerated at the Washington County Detention Center. 

A pre-trial hearing has been set for August 23, 2021, in the Washington County Superior Court.

All charges filed in this case are merely allegations and all suspects are considered innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.

A Hardinsburg man has been charged with 24 counts of animal neglect following a report of a rotting smell coming from his property. 

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department began the investigation on Wednesday, July 28^th at the property of Ryan Crum, 28, of South Green Mill Road, in Hardinsburg.

“We are investigating a case of serious animal neglect on the property involving multiple animals. The initial investigation has resulted in charges being filed,” reported Washington County Sheriff Brent Miller.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Washington County Sheriff’s Department Animal Control Officer Wimmer was dispatched to the property due to the report of an odor. 

Officer Wimmer also detected an odor upon arrival but could not identify the source. 

Wimmer spoke with property owner Crum and noted several dogs appeared to be dangerously underweight and emaciated. 

Additional dogs were discovered living in a locked semi-trailer with one door closed. 

Crum stated he could not find anyone to help him take the dogs to a veterinarian.  

Photographs were taken of the dogs and the living conditions.  These photographs were submitted to the State Veterinarian, Dr. Lovejoy. 

When consulted, Dr. Lovejoy expressed high concern for the condition of the dogs, particularly those locked in the trailer due to high temperatures. 

“The dogs from the property have been taken into custody and will be evaluated by the State Veterinarian,” said Sheriff Miller.

Crum was arrested on 24 counts of animal neglect.  The investigation remains ongoing. 

The charges filed in this case are merely allegations and all suspects are considered innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.

Investigators from the Indiana State Police (ISP) in Sellersburg are investigating the disappearance of a 29-Year-Old Madison man after he was last seen walking into a wooded area south of Salem last week. 

On Thursday, July 29, 2021, family members of Dillon W. Burgan, 29, of Madison, Indiana, contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Department to report Burgan as missing. 

Burgan was last seen walking into a heavily wooded area behind an acquaintance’s house on SR 135, approximately four miles south of Salem, Indiana, earlier that day. 

A search for Burgan began on Thursday evening and continued thru Friday and Saturday. 

Officers and volunteers from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the Salem Police Department, Indiana Conservation Officers, The Gibson Township Fire Department, and the Southern Indiana Search and Rescue Association took part in the search.  The investigation included an extensive ground search utilizing off-road vehicles and K9. 

On Saturday evening, ISP detectives assumed the investigation, and on Monday, an ISP helicopter searched the area believed to be where Burgan was last seen. 

Burgan was last seen wearing gray and orange shorts.  A Picture of Dillon Burgan is attached to this news release. 

If anyone has seen or spoken with Dillon Burgan on or after July 29, 2021, please contact Detective Travis Baker at the Indiana State Police post in Sellersburg at 812-248-4374. 

The AHEC Scholars program is accepting applications through September 17th, 2021 for its Community Healthcare Fellowship.

The fellowship will begin in October 2021 and end in May 2023.

This fellowship will prepare students to more effectively enter the health professions workforce. AHEC Scholars is designed specifically for applicants who have a strong interest in providing care to those living in rural and medically underserved communities across Indiana in positions such as physicians, physician assistants, nurses, public health practitioners, physical therapists, social workers, and other allied health occupations.

AHEC Scholars offers online learning units and community-based experiences designed to give health professions students a deeper understanding of rural and urban healthcare, caring for underserved populations, and the importance of practice transformation in a clinical care setting.

Fellows will focus on five core issues – behavioral health integration, cultural competency, interprofessional education, practice transformation, and social determinants of health.

A $1,500 stipend is provided to accepted applicants who complete the required learning and experiences.

Applicant Requirements:

• Must be in the final two years of an accredited health professions program. (18-month program, Two- year degree programs are eligible to apply.)
• Must be available to participate for two years.
• Must have reliable transportation – this program includes multiple site visits across the selected AHEC region.
• Must be available to participate in 40 hours of online learning units and 40 hours of team-based community experiences per year (for two years).

Applications can be found online at https://indianaahec.tfaforms.net/4629662

Indiana Conservation Officers’ portion of a six-month-long multi-state poaching investigation resulted in charges being filed against four juveniles from Mount Carmel, Illinois by the Gibson County Prosecutor’s Office.

The juveniles were charged with committing a combined 119 wildlife violations in Indiana and Illinois during a two-year span.

The investigation originated on Jan. 7, after Illinois DNR Conservation Police Officers (ICPOs) received information regarding alleged poaching near Mount Carmel, Illinois and Gibson County, Indiana. ICPOs obtained multiple search warrants, executed them on Jan. 8, and contacted Indiana Conservation Officers after discovering that numerous wildlife violations occurred in Indiana.

The states’ investigation found that the four juveniles had illegally killed more than 20 deer in the two states during 2019, 2020, and 2021 deer seasons. Multiple deer were shot from trucks, shot with the aid of spotlights at night, and intentionally run over with vehicles, and then stabbed or kicked to death.

The wide range of misdemeanor violations includes torture or mutilation of a vertebrate animal, wanton waste, illegal taking of white-tailed deer, use of artificial light to take deer /jack lighting, fail to procure non-resident deer license, hunting without landowner consent, criminal trespass, criminal trespass on a railroad train car, hunt/shoot from a public roadway, take more than one antlered deer and take/chase wild animal with the use of motor-driven conveyance.

All suspects are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

To report hunting or fishing violations, call Indiana Conservation Officer Central Dispatch at 812-837-9536 or 1-800-TIP-IDNR.

Indiana Conservation Officers’ two-year investigation into the owner of Kimberly Pay Lake in Commiskey has resulted in a felony charge being filed with the Jennings County Prosecutor’s Office. 

Billy G. Campbell, 80, of Commiskey, has been charged with illegal sale or shipment of wildlife that are protected by law but have an aggregate market value of at least $500 but less than $5,000, which is a level 6 felony. 

The investigation into Campbell, which began in 2019, documented multiple violations, including purchasing sport-caught catfish to be placed in the pay lake. A person may not sell, barter, or exchange, or offer to sell, barter, or exchange, or purchase or offer to purchase fish protected by law in Indiana.   

All suspects are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

To report hunting or fishing violations, call Indiana Conservation Officer Central Dispatch at 812-837-9536 or 1-800-TIP-IDNR.

Indiana DNR’s Division of State Parks is seeking volunteer hunters to participate in deer management hunts at 17 locations this fall.

Properties, where hunting will be allowed with firearms only (i.e., any firearm legal to take deer on public land in Indiana), are Chain O’Lakes, Indiana Dunes, Lincoln, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Shakamak, Spring Mill, Summit Lake, Tippecanoe River, Turkey Run, Versailles, and Whitewater Memorial state parks, and Cave River Valley Natural Area.

Properties where hunting will be allowed by archery only (i.e., any archery equipment legal to take deer in Indiana) are Clifty Falls and Fort Harrison state parks, and Trine State Recreation Area. 

The dates on which hunting will be allowed on these properties are Nov. 15–16 and Nov. 29–30.

Volunteers can apply online at on.IN.gov/reservedhunt, where additional guidelines can be found under State Park Deer.

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 9.

Management hunts are carried out exclusively to achieve an ecological objective — to ensure balanced and healthy natural communities for all plants and wildlife within park boundaries.

Successful applicants are allowed to take up to three deer, only one of which can be antlered. Deer harvested at a state park management hunt are not counted toward regular statewide bag limits.

“Trophy hunting”, i.e., passing on does or smaller bucks to wait to take a larger buck, is counter to the ecological objective of state park management hunts and is strongly discouraged.

Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews plan to begin chip seal operations as early as Thursday, August 5, on S.R. 362 in Scott and Jefferson Counties. Work will take place between S.R. 3 and S.R. 62 along the Clark County line. The work was originally scheduled for mid-May but was moved to later in the season.

Chip seal operations typically last around three to four days per location depending upon the weather.

Work is completed under lane closures with flagging to prevent damage to both vehicles and the roadway. During operations, the existing pavement is coated with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection. This extends the service life of the roadway and lowers maintenance costs. Once the seal coat is complete, loose aggregate is applied and swept from the road. After a curing period, crews will return to fog seal the new driving surface and apply pavement markings.

Chip seal is a cost-effective pavement preservation technique that is utilized across the state of Indiana, saving an estimated six to 14 dollars in taxpayer expenditures for every dollar invested in extending the life of a roadway.

Motorists should slow down, watch for stopped traffic, and drive distraction-free through all work zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

The short-term bridge closure on State Road 135 over South Fork Blue River has been postponed due to weather concerns over the past weekend, including possible rain and high humidity, which would cause project delays.

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor E&B Paving Inc. now plans to close this stretch of State Road 135 from approximately 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 5 to 5 a.m. on Monday, August 9. Traffic will be rerouted along U.S. 150 and State Road 56 during the closure.

Motorists are reminded to slow down, use extra caution, and drive distraction-free in and near all construction zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

The work on State Road 135 over Bear Creek was completed as scheduled last weekend.