The two suspects from last Wednesday's armed robbery of the Dale Pharmacy, Jacob D. Beyers, 26, Mt. Vernon and Mallory A. Johnson, 27, Mt. Vernon, have been taken into custody in Knoxville, TN by the U.S. Marshal's Service. 

Indiana State Police Master Trooper Detective Rob Gardner said, "Thank you to all of the people that called in with tips on who these individuals were. Without the public's help, identifying and locating Beyers and Johnson would have been a lot more difficult." 


SOURCE: Indiana State Police - Nixle

Posey County – Friday morning, May 10, at approximately 8:15 a.m.., Indiana State Police arrested Alice M. Gates, 64, 10340 Middle Mount Vernon Road, Evansville, for practicing nurse-midwifery without a license. A felony warrant was issued for her arrest yesterday. 

On December 21, 2012, Indiana State Police initiated a criminal investigation after receiving information an infant had been transported by ambulance from a home in rural Posey County to St. Mary’s Hospital in Evansville. The infant, who was later identified as Mara McDonald, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. 

The mother, Annika McDonald, 21, of 10032 Wolfinger Road, Mt. Vernon, started to receive prenatal care with Gates, who claimed to be a midwife, at around nine weeks. McDonald was also seen by a physician on two separate occasions. According to Detective Toni Walden, the mother never had an ultrasound or any blood tests during her pregnancy. 

Gates was summoned to the McDonald residence at approximately 2:00 a.m. on December 20th after she started to experience labor pains. Approximately two hours later, McDonald gave birth to her daughter. Gates was present during the birth, but left the residence about two hours later. At approximately 3:00 p.m., the parents summoned Gates back to their residence because their daughter was having difficulty breathing. Gates allegedly examined the infant and determined the respiratory distress wasn’t severe and that the parents could continue to watch their child at home or take her to a hospital. The parents decided to keep their child at home and continue to monitor her condition. During the early morning hours on December 21, both parents noticed their newborn daughter had stopped breathing and summoned an ambulance. Medical personnel attempted to revive the infant, but they were unsuccessful. 

An autopsy revealed Mara McDonald’s death was caused by respiratory arrest due to acute lobar pneumonia. 

Further investigation revealed Gates did not have a license to practice as a nurse-midwife. She was arrested this morning without incident at her residence and taken to the Posey County Jail where she was released after posting bond. 

Arrested and Charge: 
• Alice M. Gates, 64, 10340 Middle Mount Vernon Road, Evansville, IN 
1. Practicing Nurse-Midwifery without a License, Class D Felony 

Investigating Officer: Detective Toni Walden, Indiana State Police 

Starting this Sunday, May 12, Indiana State Police will be participating in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Ticket Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) campaign to reduce the number of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles and passenger cars. Troopers will participate in this campaign through Saturday, June 8th. 
The TACT program uses education and high visibility traffic enforcement to reduce commercial motor vehicle related crashes. By participating in TACT, Indiana State Police hope to deter unsafe driving behavior by passenger vehicle and commercial motor vehicle drivers when they interact on the roadway. Troopers will be specifically looking for motorists who drive dangerously around semi trucks and other commercial motor vehicles. Some of the violations troopers will be concentrating on include: unsafe lane changes, failure to yield the right of way, following too closely and aggressive driving. In many crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, the crash is caused by non-commercial drivers operating in an unsafe manner. 

“The Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division would like to remind everyone that traffic safety is a continuing partnership between the general motoring public, the commercial transportation industry and law enforcement. Together, through safer driving practices, we can reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries,” said Captain Mike Eslinger, Commander of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. 

Indiana State Police encourage all drivers to follow these safety tips when driving around commercial motor vehicles: 
• Allow plenty of space between you and the commercial motor vehicle. Drivers should allow one car length between their vehicle and the commercial motor vehicle for every 10 mph of travel or follow at least three to four seconds behind the semi. 
• Stay out of the truck driver’s blind spot. If you can’t see the mirrors on the truck, the driver can’t see you. 
• Always make safe lane changes around commercial motor vehicles. Use signals and leave plenty of space between you and the truck. It can take over 500 feet for a fully loaded truck going 65 mph to come to a complete stop. 
• Always yield the right of way to commercial motor vehicles.

Gibson County – Early Thursday morning, May 2, at approximately 2:40 a.m., Indiana State Police, Oakland City Police and Gibson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 hang-up call at 509 Dongola in Oakland City. While officers were enroute, dispatchers received several more 911 calls and heard a female screaming. When officers arrived they found Sarah Bruce, 24, sitting on the couch with a bloody nose and a laceration to her neck. Samantha Robbins, 27, was also present and she had no visible injuries other than a small red mark on her neck. While officers were attempting to escort her outside she attempted to flee. She was quickly restrained and after a brief struggle she was handcuffed. While searching Robbins’ purse, officers found several Hydrocodone pills and a marijuana cigarette. 

Further investigation revealed that an argument ensued between Bruce and Robbins. When Bruce called 911 and attempted to talk to the dispatcher, Robbins tried to take away the phone and threatened her with a knife by holding it to her throat. Bruce was able to get the knife away from Robbins and hid it next to the couch. The knife was recovered and blood was visible on the blade. Bruce was treated and released from Princeton General Hospital. Robbins was taken to the Gibson County Jail where she is currently being held without bond. 

Arrested and Charges: 
• Samantha Robbins, 27, 509 Dongola, Oakland City, IN 
1. Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Class C Felony 
2. Possession of a Controlled Substance, Class D Felony 
3. Domestic Battery, Class A Misdemeanor 
4. Resisting Law Enforcement, Class A Misdemeanor 
5. Interference with the Reporting of a Crime, Class a Misdemeanor 
6. Possession of Marijuana under 30 grams, Class A Misdemeanor 

Arresting Officer: Trooper Paul Stolz, Indiana State Police 
Assisting Officers: Trooper Chris Dyer, Indiana State Police 
Officer Tim Gaines, Oakland City Police 
Sergeant Brad Nixon, Gibson County Sheriff’s Office 

Vanderburgh County – Wednesday morning, May 1, at approximately 8:20, Nicholas Schipp, 31, of Evansville, was traveling westbound on I-64 near the 19 mile-marker when he collided into the rear of an (INDOT) Indiana Department of Transportation vehicle pulling a crash attenuator, which is also known as a crash cushion. 

INDOT had the passing lane of I-64 at the 19 mile-marker closed for approximately 15 minutes for highway maintenance before the crash occurred. The INDOT vehicle was not damaged, but the crash attenuator was destroyed. Schipp’s 2008 Dodge Magnum was totaled. Schipp was wearing a seat belt and did not required medical attention. 

Indiana State Police and Indiana Department of Transportation encourage all motorists to pay attention when traveling in and around highway maintenance projects. Many of these highway vehicles are either stopped in the roadway or moving at slower speeds. The truck and crash attenuator that were struck also had a flashing arrow board indicating that motorists need to move into the driving lane. Warnings signs were posted on I-64 miles indicating highway maintenance was ahead. Schipp was cited for failing to yield the right of way to a stationary highway maintenance vehicle. 

Investigating Officer: Trooper Kylen Compton 
Assisting Officer: Senior Trooper Jon Puskas 

Indiana State Police at Evansville are currently investigating two separate incidents where individuals have handed over money to an unknown male claiming to be a landlord who is about to evict his tenants. Indiana State Police Detectives believe this male will continue to scam others if given the opportunity. 

On April 15th, an Evansville Pastor received a phone call from a person alleging to be indigent and explained that he would be evicted from his residence on Telephone Road in Warrick County unless he could pay his landlord $95.00 to partially cover the rent he owed. He further explained that his wife was currently being treated for health issues at Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Newburgh. The pastor agreed to meet the landlord at the hospital. Sometime between 3:00 – 3:40 p.m., the pastor drove to the hospital and met the alleged landlord and insisted on speaking to the tenants before he would turn over the check. The man led the pastor into the hospital and into an empty patient room. The pastor was told that the couple must be in the lab for tests. They both walked to the lab, but failed to find the tenants. The pastor eventually handed over the check for $95. After the landlord left, the pastor checked with the front information desk and discovered that the woman was not even a patient at the hospital. He was able to stop payment on the check. 

In February, an unknown male contacted a representative of St. Vincent DePaul Society in Evansville. The male caller claimed a couple was being evicted from their home because they couldn’t pay their rent. The caller further claimed that the landlord had agreed to drop eviction proceedings if they could come up with $120 for the rent they owed. The representative from St. Vincent DePaul Society later met the alleged landlord at Schnucks’ parking lot on the west side of Evansville and handed him a check for $120. The representative became suspicious later when all the phone numbers he had been given for the tenants and landlord were either disconnected or not correct. He also discovered the address given to him as the residence where the tenants were being evicted from was a vacant lot. 

Suspect Information: It is not known at this time if the male portraying himself as the landlord is acting alone or if he has others that are assisting. Detectives say the suspect is a white male and approximately 40-years-old. No other description is available at this time. 

Indiana State Police Detectives would like to warn everyone that scams occur almost every day and it’s important to do some research before turning over cash to a stranger. Detectives also believe there are possibly additional victims that have not contacted police. Anyone with information concerning these incidents is encouraged to contact Indiana State Police at 812-867-2079 or 1-800-852-3970.

The Indiana State Police participated in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) sixth Drug Take Back Event which resulted in Hoosiers across Indiana dropping off unwanted prescription drugs.. 

The first DEA Drug Take Back Event took place in September of 2010 and resulted in 2.4 tons of drugs being dropped off for disposal. The results are in for the most recent Drug Take Back event from this past Saturday, April 27, 2013 and resulted in 11.5 tons of drugs being dropped off. Indiana State Police drop off locations contributed 1,875.5 pounds to the state wide total. 

The Indiana State Police has partnered with the DEA in each Drug Take Back event. This popular public service event helps reduce the improper disposal of unwanted prescription drugs by providing an alternative to flushing down the toilet, placement in regular trash or leaving them in the home and susceptible to unintended or illegal use.


SOURCE: Indiana State Police - Nixle

Knox County – Monday night, April 29, at approximately 9:59, a Knox County Deputy was driving down Wilbur Street in Vincennes when he was flagged down by friends of Ross A. Darkis, 42, who resided at 215 Wilbur Street. Darkis was intoxicated and was in possession of a handgun on his front porch. He had been arguing with his girlfriend earlier in the evening and was very upset according to his friends. Additional officers from Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Vincennes City Police arrived. Officers attempted to get Darkis to surrender his weapon, but he refused. Officers used a taser and a weapon that discharges a small bean-bag in attempt to diffuse the situation, but both non-lethal weapons were unsuccessful. At approximately 10:25 p.m., Darkis raised the handgun he was holding toward the officers. In order to protect themselves and other officers on scene, several of the officers fired their weapons. Darkis was struck multiple times and was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes where he was pronounced dead several minutes later. The identity of the Vincennes City Police Officers and Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy involved in the shooting are not being released at this time. No officers were injured. 

The investigation is continuing. 

DECEASED: 
• Ross A. Darkis, 42, 215 Wilbur Street, Vincennes, IN 

Investigating Agency: Indiana State Police 
Assisting Agencies: Knox County Sheriff’s Department, Vincennes City Police and Knox County Coroner’s Office 

Perry County: Around midnight Saturday morning an alert motorist called 911 about a white Ford Explorer weaving all over the road on I-64 at the 88 mile marker. The caller followed the vehicle as it exited off of I-64 and went south on SR 37 towards Tell City. Trooper Jeremy Galloway was in the area and attempted to stop the white Ford Explorer for speeding 88mph in a 55 mph zone around the 16 mile marker southbound however the driver Stephen B. Curl, 23, Cannelton refused to stop. 

A pursuit was initiated and Curl led officer’s, on a 35 minute pursuit that traveled on state roads, county roads and finally ended at 1st Street and Herzelle Street in Cannelton when Curl, travelling north on 1st Street, swerved to miss a concrete barrier at Herzelle Street and collided with the flood wall. 

Curl was uninjured in the crash but continued to resist officers as they attempted to take him into custody. After getting Curl into custody, officers located illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia both on him and in his vehicle. 

Curl was offered and submitted to a test for intoxication. He preliminarily tested positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, opiates, and cannabinoids. Curl was transported to the Perry County Jail without further incident. 

Arrested and Charges: 
Stephen B. Curl, 23 
607 Congress Street, Cannelton IN 
1. Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle, D-Felony 
2. Operating While Intoxicated, A-Misdemeanor 
3. Possession of a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance, B-Felony 
4. Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, A-Misdemeanor 

Assisting with the Pursuit: Crawford County and Perry County Sheriff’s Offices, Tell City Police Department and the Cannelton Police Department.


SOURCE: Indiana State Police

Pike County – Yesterday morning, April 26, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Trooper Brent Gramig responded to Pike Central High School after a female student was found to be under the influence of drugs. 

During the investigation, Trooper Gramig was able to determine Kirbi McCandless, 18, of Velpen, had been smoking bath salts, marijuana and she had taken some pills from a container in her purse. A search of her purse revealed a container with several pills, tin foil and other drug paraphernalia. Two of the pills were later identified as Oxycodone. McCandless was arrested and taken to the Pike County Jail. She was later released after posting bond. 

ARRESTED AND CHARGES: 
• Kirbi McCandless, 18, Velpen, IN 
1. Possession of a Controlled Substance, Class D Felony 
2. Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Class A Misdemeanor 

Arresting Officer: Trooper Brent Gramig, Indiana State Police 


SOURCE: Indiana State Police