ELKHART COUNTY COURTS: Colon sentenced to 8 years

Mar. 21—GOSHEN — A man was sentenced Thursday to a total of eight years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine in Elkhart County Circuit Court.

An officer with the Elkhart City Police Department pulled Rolando Colon Sr., 48, over on June 5, 2023 after he noted overly tinted windows, loud exhaust, and the vehicle crossing over the center lane before going into the parking lot of Energy Oil gas station, 1245 S. Main St., where the officer initiated a traffic stop.

As the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was looking for his information, the officer said he saw a clear plastic baggie of meth in the cubby hole near the steering wheel, and a joint in the door armrest pocket.

A search of the vehicle turned up two pipes, a backpack also containing a baggie of meth, and baggies of marijuana on the passenger's side. Colon told police that he bought the meth in bulk but does not sell it, and that the marijuana was given to him as payment for repair work he'd done.

In total police found 16.7 grams of meth, and 92 grams of marijuana, and he was charged with possession of meth, a Level 4 felony; driving while suspended with a prior conviction, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. Colon was sentenced to a total of 11 years at the Indiana Department of Corrections, with three suspended on reporting probation.

Officers also noted several driving while suspended cases in Colon's history and a warrant for a failure to appear on one of the cases.

TYRONE A. HUNT AND MELVIN D. LEVY

Two men accused of a bank robbery early this month were appointed public defenders Thursday.

Tyrone Andre Hunt, 61, and Melvin Deandre Levy, 43, both of Elkhart, were arrested on charges of robbery, a Level 3 felony; and resisting law enforcement, a Level 6 felony, after an incident at Fifth Third Bank, 400 N. Main St., Elkhart, on March 14.

Elkhart City Police responded to a robbery in progress at 9:37 a.m. that day. Witnesses claimed that one of the men forcefully brought the bank manager and another employee from their offices to teller counters where they were demanded to withdraw cash — almost $8,000.

With the suspects last seen running toward Sycamore Street, officers also found surveillance of them getting into a white Chevrolet Malibu and, using flock cameras, located the vehicle in the 600 block of Laurel Street around 10:40 a.m. Neighbors in the area told them a woman had gotten out of that vehicle and into a black Cadillac Escalade, which officers later found in the 3500 block of Superior Street. Officers followed the vehicle to a car wash and when they approached, two men fled on foot.

The men were caught and identified as Melvin Levy and Tyrone Hunt, each with over $2,000 in cash on their person, and backpacks alleged to have been involved in the robbery, as well as clothing identified by witnesses.

Hunt allegedly told police he and Levy were responsible for the robbery, but Levy denied involvement.

Separately, both men have omnibus dates of April 18, pretrial conferences on May 16, trial status conferences on Nov. 7, and jury trials on Dec. 2.

CRISTIAN A. PARADA QUINTANILLA

A burglary suspect had his jury trial continued during Thursday's Circuit Court proceedings

Parada Quintanilla, Elkhart, is accused of a burglary that took place Jan. 14. According to a probable cause affidavit, officers responded to a call for an alarm at Smokes++ in the Market Centre plaza, 4024 Elkhart Road, Goshen, and arrived to find the front door glass broken. The officer who responded to the call reported seeing an individual bending over the back side of the sales counter and went out to his vehicle to keep watch and called for backup.

As reported in the affidavit, through a translator early on, Parada Quintanilla allegedly told officers that he'd broken into the business because he wanted to get deported and that he'd committed a previous burglary at the same location Nov. 19. Officers also said they found a large gray Adidas backpack on the floor and a smaller backpack on the counter both filled with products from the store and a Louisville Slugger baseball bat on the floor near the backpack. Items in the bags totaled $3,479.

Parada Quintanilla's jury trial was rescheduled from April 15 to Dec. 2.

QUINN T. ALWELL

An Elkhart man accused in a crime against an ex pleaded guilty to residential entry and domestic battery instead of robbery resulting in bodily injury during Thursday's court proceedings. Quinn Alwell, 45, was sentenced to a total of five years.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Alwell kicked open the door to his ex-girlfriend's home on May 30, 2023, in the 22000 block of Cassopolis Street, Elkhart. The woman's current boyfriend was standing in the doorway. Alwell attacked him and stole cash totaling $880, and also took cards from his wallet. He then punched his ex-girlfriend and spoke to her, but she couldn't remember what he'd said.

Alwell's charges included robbery resulting in bodily injury, battery resulting in bodily injury, and domestic battery elevated to a Level 6 felony due to a previous conviction. He was also accused of unlawful possession of a syringe.

Elkhart County Circuit Judge Michael Christofeno sentenced him to two and a half years for residential entry, a Level 5 felony; and two and a half years for domestic battery, a Level 6 felony, to be served consecutively with the Indiana Department of Corrections. A second count of domestic battery was dismissed.

JASON P. BROWN

A man was sentenced to a year on probation for possession of methamphetamine in Superior Court 3 on Thursday.

Jason P. Brown, 48, Goshen, was arrested on Sept. 1, 2022, after an officer found meth in his vehicle near the Hampton Inn, 2014 Lincolnway East.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Brown was parked behind the building and said he was on lunch break from his job and seeking a shady spot to enjoy it.

The officer asked Brown to exit his vehicle, noting what he deemed nervous behavior, and found a smoking pipe on the floorboard, among other paraphernalia.

Brown admitted to the officer smoking meth during the lunch break. The officer found 6.9 grams of the substance.

MARIO J. CACAHUA

A man accused of beating up a teen employee of Walmart had his trial date confirmed during Thursday's court proceedings.

On Feb. 6, Elkhart County deputies said Mario J. Cacahua, 20, Goshen, and several others entered Walmart, 4024 Elkhart Road, and attacked a store associate.

Police said the report came in around 9 p.m. The 17-year-old employee told police that he'd been stocking food when he left to get plastic bags for trash. When he returned to the aisle, several men asked him if he wanted to fight, and he told them no, but they began attacking him, the report reads.

The victim told police he didn't know who the men were, but asset protection garnered a surveillance video which helped police witness the altercation and identify some.

In the video, the victim's shoes are removed and later when the suspects leave, Cacahua is seen leaving the store with the shoes, the probably cause affidavit reads.

Cacahua is charged with robbery resulting in bodily injury, a Level 3 felony.

A status conference is scheduled for Oct. 10 and a jury trial for Nov. 4.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.