Police

A Traverse City man has been charged in the death of his girlfriend’s one-year old daughter. 22-year old Toren Hains was arraigned earlier this month in Kalamazoo County District Court on charges of open murder, felony murder and first-degree child abuse. Prosecutors say the charges stem from a December 30 incident while Hains was babysitting Zoie Johnston at her mother’s …

A southern Michigan sheriff says he’s discontinuing night and overnight patrols because of budget cuts put into place earlier this year. Branch County Sheriff John Pollack made the announcement at a Monday night county government meeting. In a statement, officials say Michigan State Police are expected to help provide the county with 24-hour law enforcement coverage. The sheriff’s department had …

A prosecutor has determined that three northern Indiana police officers acted properly when they fatally shot a man who ran from them and tried to shoot his way into a house. Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill says the Elkhart officers used reasonable force against 27-year-old Jamie Benavidez on Sept. 1. The Elkhart Truth reports that Hill’s findings say Benavidez ran …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough Thursday morning signed a two-count complaint charging Portage resident Andy Brown with first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm. The charge is in connection with the Oct. 2 shooting death of Sturgis accountant David Locey at Locey’s Sherman Township office. Brown, 36, was already in custody on a charge of embezzlement. McDonough said the embezzlement …

A 17-year-old Sturgis-area resident was airlifted to an Indiana hospital after the vehicle he was driving was struck by an SUV Wednesday in Nottawa Township. State police said the Sturgis teen was driving north on Nottawa Road around 4:30 p.m. an eastbound vehicle driven by a 26-year-old Three Rivers man failed to stop at the intersection of Findley Road. The …

Seventeen St. Joseph County employees were recognized Tuesday for reaching milestone years of service. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners acknowledged employees who had reached the 10-, 15-, 20- and 25-year plateau. The 25-year category featured three recipients: Det.-Sgt. Jim Hart, patrol officer Pete VanCamp and IT director Dan Wing. The group of 20-year employees consisted of Mike Minger, …

Immaculate Conception School and nearby Three Rivers Health were briefly in lock-down mode Tuesday morning in response to a citizen’s claim of gunshots heard in the vicinity. Law-enforcement officials responded around 7:50 a.m. to an area in the 1100 block of Hill Street after a citizen reported hearing gunfire. A search of the perimeter was conducted but officials later concluded …

A 35-year-old Three Rivers man suffered minor injuries after he was involved in a single-vehicle accident over the weekend in Cass County’s Lagrange Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said his office responded at 3:10 a.m. Sunday to a personal-injury crash at the intersection of Pokagon Highway and Wilberhill Road. Demetrius Pritchard was traveling south on Wilberhill in a Pontiac minivan when …

A gasoline-powered pole saw, chainsaw, air-powered nail guns and other tools were stolen recently from a residence in Mottville Township. State police investigators were called to the 12000 block of U.S. 12 to look into the matter. The time and date of the incident, and details regarding how access was gained into the residence was not stated in a department …

St. Joseph County Commissioner Don Eaton was fined $200 on a charge of disturbing the peace, related to a July incident at the Sturgis Applebee’s. The charge was reduced from what could have been possession of a firearm while intoxicated, as Eaton was found to have had a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.08 percent while he was in possession …