ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind – Four men were arrested Sunday night after Indiana State Police troopers stopped a stolen truck on the Toll Road.
According to police, troopers were alerted at around 9:10 p.m., that a stolen truck was believed to be traveling eastbound on the Indiana Toll Road in LaPorte County. The truck was described as a white 2024 Dodge Ram reported stolen by the Blendon Township Police Department that evening.
A trooper located the truck shortly after it entered St. Joseph County around 17 minutes later. After confirming this truck was the Dodge that was reported stolen, a stop was conducted near mile-marker 73 on the Indiana Toll Road.
Troopers safely took the driver and four passengers into custody.
The driver, identified as 31-year-old Manuel Flores, of Toledo, Ohio, was suspected of operating while intoxicated. The trooper who is trained as a drug recognition expert, completed an evaluation and determined that Flores was intoxicated on a controlled substance.
Assisting troopers from the Bremen District and additional Toll Road troopers located suspected marijuana in the Dodge. This resulted in the front seat passenger, 26-year-old Raul Martinez, of Toledo, Ohio, being arrested for criminal conversion-auto, and possession of marijuana. A rear seat passenger identified as 40-year-old Jose Hernandez, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested for criminal conversion-auto. An additional rear seat passenger identified as 39-year-old Marcos Perez-Velasco, of Aurora, Illinois, was arrested for criminal conversion-auto, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia.
Flores was transported to a local hospital for a certified test for intoxication and was then transported to the St. Joseph County Jail for criminal conversion-auto, operating while intoxicated-endangerment, operating while intoxicated, and possession of marijuana.