KNIGHTSTOWN – Friday morning, a trooper from the Indiana State Police Pendleton District stopped a passenger vehicle for an equipment violation and discovered the driver was wanted out of Illinois for possession of dangerous drugs.
On May 24, 2024, around 12:30 A.M., Trooper Avery Weisbrodt patrolled Interstate 70 near the 117-mile marker (Knightstown exit). While checking the speed of vehicles, Trooper Weisbrodt observed a Ford pickup truck traveling unsafely below the posted speed limit and unable to maintain its lane. Trooper Weisbrodt initiated a traffic stop for an equipment violation and the suspicion of an impaired driver.
During the initial interaction with the driver and passenger, Trooper Weisbrodt recognized indicators of criminal activity and requested the assistance of a K9. The driver identified himself as Kent D. Lytle, 70, of Edwardsville, Illinois. During the investigation, Trooper Weisbrodt discovered that Lytle was wanted on an active warrant out of Illinois for an original charge of Dangerous Drugs. The passenger identified herself as Jody Kuhn, 35, of Pontoon Beach, Illinois.
New Castle Police Officer Jake Nicholson and his K9 partner, Awper, arrived to assist Trooper Weisbrodt. K9 Awper performed an open-air sniff of the truck and gave a positive indication of the presence of narcotics. Due to a positive K9 alert on the vehicle, officers searched and found marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
Lytle was arrested and transported to the Henry County Jail and will be extradited to Illinois to face the dangerous drug charge.
Kuhn was also arrested and preliminarily charged with possession of meth, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Assisting Trooper Avery Weisbrodt in this investigation was Deputy Gregg Yuknavage of the Henry County Sheriff’s Department and Affordable Towing.
