Police

An Elkhart man was hospitalized after he walked into traffic onto U.S. 131 in White Pigeon Township. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies were called shortly before 4:30 a.m. Monday to U.S. 131, south of Indian Prairie Road, in response to a car-versus-pedestrian incident. Investigators said a 40-year-old Three Rivers man was driving south on U.S. 131 when a 39-year-old Elkhart …

A motorcyclist was injured over the weekend in a crash southeast of Mendon. State Police troopers responded Saturday to the intersection of M-66 and Jacksonburg Road in response to a single-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle. Investigators said the motorcyclist was driving at a high rate of speed northbound on M-66. A witness told authorities the driver lost control of the …

St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman says the agency plans to use grant money to enforce a new law that went into effect last week. Three House bills focusing on districted driving went into effect Saturday. Essentially, the law forbids use of a hand-held cell phone while driving. This includes use of a mobile electronic device to do any task, …

Two Shipshewana women died following a two-vehicle crash last week in White Pigeon Township. St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies were called shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday to Indian Prairie Road, near Kalamazoo Road, in response to a personal-injury incident. Investigators said an Escalade driven by a 19-year-old Lagrange County man was heading west on Indian Prairie when …

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating a criminal-damage-to-property incident in Calhoun County’s Marengo Township. Law-enforcement officials said an object was thrown through the window of a chapel door between 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and 2 p.m. Thursday. The incident occurred at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

A 35-year-old man has been killed and a 32-year-old man wounded during a shooting at a weekend concert that forced people to flee from a park in southwestern Michigan. The shooting occurred Saturday night as the concert in Kalamazoo’s Spring Valley Park was ending, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Marcus Tillman of Kalamazoo later was pronounced dead, …

A man who spent nearly 21 years in prison for the deaths of two Michigan hunters filed a lawsuit Friday seeking $1.02 million for wrongful convictions, just a day after a prosecutor dropped murder charges and ruled out a second trial. “Jeff Titus is 71 years old. He was robbed of 21 years of his prime,” attorney Wolf Mueller said. “Who knows …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor David Marvin said a plea agreement and sentence have been worked out regarding the suspect allegedly involved in the October 2021 death of a Colon woman. Michael Lafler, age 37, of Colon, will be sentenced in June to a maximum of 15 years in the strangulation death of 33-year-old Chelsea Wallen. Marvin said he and defense …

A Mendon woman faces drug-related charges following a traffic stop last week in Sturgis Township. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies stopped a vehicle shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday on South Centerville Road, near Fawn River Road. Deputies were suspicious of the driver and requested the services of the Sturgis Police K-9 unit. With the assistance of the K-9 unit, deputies …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday announced recipients of two high-profile awards. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said Mark Mellinger was named Uniformed Services Deputy of the Year for 2022. Meanwhile, Gabriel Keely received Corrections Deputy of the Year for 2022. Bingaman said the county is a safer place because of Mellinger, while Keely is an employee who goes above …