BEDFORD – Indiana State Trooper Chance Humphrey responded to a burglary report in the 4000 block of Peerless Road on Sunday, June 2.
The homeowner reported a vehicle was parked in front of his big garage door, and three males were in his garage. He said he parked behind their Jeep so they could not leave.
When Trooper Humphrey arrived, the three males were inside their 2006 Jeep. Other officers arrived to assist.
The owner told police that someone had broken into his garage, taken his Snap-On toolbox, and tried to pry open the top drawer.
Someone also busted the driver’s window and front windshield of the Pontiac G6 parked in the garage. The license plate was also missing. He also reported that a vehicle in his side lot had been moved, and the windows were busted out. The light bar on the front of the Jeep the three males were in was his; he could prove it because he had taken out the center of it to fit his truck. A radio he had also just purchased for this truck was also missing.
Trooper Samual Wagner was with the three males.
Trooper Humphrey looked around the garage and found boot prints on the hood of the Pontiac. The owner said those bootprints were not there earlier in the day.
Trooper Humphrey requested photos of the three males’ boots to compare them to the prints on the car.
Troopers found several items in the back of the males’ vehicle stolen from the garage.
Troopers spoke to 18-year-old Breyton Ray. He admitted he had climbed on the hood of the car and busted the windows out.
He also admitted pulling the toolbox out of the garage to see what was inside. The toolbox was locked, and they attempted to pry it open.
He also admitted they used the Jeep to push the car in the side lot.
Ray said 18-year-old Blake Leslie was driving the Jeep.
Ray said he didn’t see anyone take the items from the garage found in the back of Leslie’s Jeep.
Wesley Stephenson, 20, told police that he was just there to explore the abandoned building with his friends and did not participate in the vandalism of the cars or toolbox.
While being transported to jail, Stephenson gave police permission to look at his Snapchat messages, and police found messages between the three males saying they were going to the property to steal items. One message said they were looking for knives, turbos, tools, and possible guns. Another stated they hoped they didn’t get caught.
Trooper Wagner said Stephenson said they had been at the property on both Thursday and Friday, and that is when they stole the light bar, radio, and other items in the back of the Jeep.
Leslie told police it was his first time at the property, and he was just looking around. He told police he had gotten the light bar from a friend named Eddie. He claimed Eddie must have stolen the light bar. He then admitted the radio had been stolen before Sunday and that he had left it with a female. He gave the police the address where the female lived.
She told police Leslie and his girlfriend had been at her house on Thursday and Friday to swim. While there, Leslie asked her if she wanted a radio for her car and gave her the radio. Police recovered the stolen radio.
Leslie, Stephenson, and Ray were arrested on burglary, theft, and criminal mischief charges.
