The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on Saturday they is a serious violent felon.
Saturday at around 9:55 a.m., a deputy was traveling westbound on the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90) near the 46-mile marker when they slowed and began to make a U-turn in a center-median crossover. Officials say an eastbound passenger vehicle caught the attention of the deputy as it was traveling at an excessive speed.
The deputy completed the U-turn, began traveling eastbound, and caught up to the vehicle near the 48-mile marker. The vehicle was paced by the deputy and found to be traveling at 95 miles per hour. Due to the speed of the vehicle, the deputy initiated a traffic stop near the 49-mile marker.
The driver was identified as 28-year-old Devonce O. Whitesides of Terre Haute. During the traffic stop, probable cause was established for a vehicle search. A second deputy arrived to assist. The vehicle search yielded a 9mm KEL-TEC PF-9 pistol concealed inside the vehicle.
Whitesides was taken into custody and transported to the La Porte County Jail. He was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. He remains housed in the LCJ and is being held on a $20,000 cash-only bond through La Porte County Circuit Court.