Police

South Bend bypass section damaged by fuel tanker fire

A fuel tanker caught fire on the U.S. 31/20 bypass in South Bend, sending flames high into the predawn sky and damaging the roadway’s pavement. Police say residents were evacuated from some nearby homes after the fire started about 4:30 a.m. Monday on the city’s far west side near South Bend International Airport. They were able to return a few …

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Sturgis man arraigned on multiple charges

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough has authorized seven charges against Fernando Mendoza Cruz. The 37-year-old Sturgis man was charged Friday with three counts of kidnapping, and one count for each offense of fleeing and eluding, carrying a concealed weapon, felony firearm and domestic violence. He remains in the St. Joseph County Jail with a $250,000 cash/ surety bond. An …

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Branch County man arrested following knifing incident

Troopers from Michigan State Police are investigating a felonious assault by a 42-year-old man who used a hunting knife as a weapon. Investigators were called at 11 p.m. Thursday to the 400 block of River Road in Branch County’s Batavia Township. The suspect threatened to kill his mother. He also kept her from leaving the residence for several hours. The …

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Update – Sturgis child abduction

Authorities from several Michigan and Indiana police agencies helped in an effort to track a suspect responsible for the issuance of an Amber Alert early Thursday. According to Sturgis Police Chief Geoff Smith, the child-abduction alert was issued after 37-year-old Fernando Mendoza Cruz was allegedly responsible for an assault at his residence, in the 100 block of Pioneer Street. Officers …

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September is “Preparedness Month”

Michigan residents should prepare for emergencies and disasters by making an emergency plan with their loved ones and learning life-saving skills as part of Michigan’s “Preparedness Month,” according to the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. Throughout September, the MSP/EMHSD is joining federal, state and local governments, as well as private and public organizations, in supporting emergency-preparedness …

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Serious injury in Sturgis crash

Troopers from the Michigan State Police Marshall Post are investigating a two vehicle crash involving a mini-van and a motorcycle which happened Wednesay at 12:35pm. The 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle, driven by a 37 year old male from Fishers, IN, was eastbound on US-12 in Sturgis, when a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country mini-van driven by 38 year old female, …

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“Keep Nellie Cool and Safe” project has been completed

Last Fall Deb Rohdy, owner of the Bow Wow Bakery and Bath in Dowagiac, started a community project to “Keep Nellie Cool”  This project was to purchase a heat sensor for the patrol car used by Nellie and her handler Deputy TK Graves. Nellie is a Bloodhound used by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office for trailing of lost, missing, and endangered …

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Remains from old Michigan plane crash wreckage identified

Authorities have positively identified a couple whose remains were recovered from the wreckage of a small plane that crashed more than 20 years ago in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Mackinac County Sheriff Scott Strait said Thursday the remains have been positively identified as those of missing couple Mark and Janet Davies. The single-engine Piper PA-28 that 45-year-old Mark Davies was …

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Tests: Georgia remains match Michigan teen last seen in 1979

Authorities say tests have confirmed the remains of an unknown person buried in Georgia are those of a 15-year-old boy who ran away from his southeastern Michigan home in 1979. Michigan State Police say a forensic analyst from University of North Texas’ Center for Human Identification on Tuesday revealed the DNA match with Dennis Greer. Investigators say he left his …

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Special police unit seeks to curb thefts from RV companies

A special police unit is seeking to curb burglaries and thefts from businesses including recreational vehicle companies in northern Indiana. Police in the Elkhart County city of Goshen say their unit was formed to deal with such crimes in the city’s industrial areas. The department says thefts had been increasing over the last several months, with items such as televisions …

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