May 25—GOSHEN — A Bashor Children's Home teenager was sentenced for her role in an incident at the alternative home Oct. 10 during Thursday's Elkhart County Circuit Court proceedings.

A total of 14 years for a Bashor escapee who attacked a worker and resisted law enforcement may seem a steep sentence for 16-year-old Nimaoni King, but Elkhart County Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno told her that a history of violent outbursts is what led him to his decision.

"I look at you and you are like two different people," Christofeno told her ahead of sentencing. "The minute you're not in front of me, you turn into some person that destroys juvenile detention centers. You basically got removed from four juvenile detention facilities because of your aggressive, hostile, violent, outbursts. You have got to change your behavior or you're going to be in adult corrections for the rest of your life."

He referenced several incidents that occurred while King was placed at Bashor, Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Center and outside-the-county juvenile spaces including DCS. Currently, King has seven other referrals to juvenile court and many of the batteries or thefts were against caregivers at those locations.

Chiristofeno declined to sentence pursuant to the juvenile sentencing scheme, citing that King's charges, had she been an adult at the time, would have amounted to several felony convictions.

He sentenced her to a total of 14 years at the Indiana Department of Corrections, some at the juvenile detention center until adulthood, with eight years suspended, and eight years on reporting probation for robbery resulting in bodily injury, resisting law enforcement, and two counts of battery against a public safety official. The sentencing spawns from an incident at Bashor Children's Home, 62226 C.R. 15, Goshen, along with two other girls on Oct. 10, 2022.

According to police, King, 16, and the two other girls ran away from Bashor and in the process of escaping the secure facility, the girls allegedly assaulted a staff member and stole her building keys to escape.

Later that day, officers were advised of three young women running on properties near C.R. 30 and C.R. 15 and they were apprehended — although two, including King, attempted to resist law enforcement, police said.

MATTHEW MALONE

An Elkhart teen had an initial hearing for a series of battery charges against public safety officials at the Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Center.

At JDC for an armed robbery that occurred Dec. 12, Judge Christofeno admonished Matthew Malone for adding additional charges to his juvenile record through his demeanor at the juvenile detention center, stating that Malone's upcoming 18 birthday in June won't stop the court from pressing charges from juvenile activity as it's alleged youth at the facility claim.

According to a probable cause affidavit from Elkhart County deputies, Malone allegedly met a man at the New Paris Apartments, 18856 U.S. 6, New Paris, at 2 p.m. from the Facebook Marketplace to purchase a 2016 orange Mustang 5.0 that he'd agreed to pay $35,000 for. Instead, the affidavit reads, when Malone came out of the apartment, the seller said Malone held him up using a black handgun and took the vehicle, allowing the seller's 8-year-old son to get out of the Mustang, before robbing him of his wallet, threatening him, and then taking off in the vehicle.

A further proceedings trial is scheduled from July 29, with a trial status conference Jan. 11, 2024, and a jury trial Feb. 5, 2024.

NAVNEET SINGH

A man accused of attempted murder was once again refused a bond reduction during Thursday's circuit court proceedings.

Navneet Singh, 29, Elkhart, is accused of attempted murder after allegedly shooting himself and his girlfriend Jessica Campos outside of 884 Hiawatha Drive, Elkhart. A neighbor called to report the two individuals covered in blood, having been shot inside the home and moving out to sit on the porch around 1 p.m. April 20.

Singh reportedly told officers on site that he shot Campos, and then shot himself. Singh was shot in the top of his head, and confirmed to medics while in transport to Elkhart General Hospital for treatment that his goal had been to kill Campos, who had an injury to the front of her face near her nose and was taken to South Bend Memorial Hospital for more intensive medical care, according to the charging affidavit.

The affidavit from the Elkhart City Police Department also reveals a cousin of Campos' produced text messages from her alleging that Singh was holding her confined in her bedroom at the home, that he kept pointing a gun at her, told her they were both going to die, threatened to shoot her if the cops arrived and instead asking her to call Singh's father, over about a half hour period leading up to the shooting. A video sent to the cousin shows Singh standing on a dresser that is blocking the doorway to the bedroom, and two move videos show Singh aiming a black handgun in her direction, court records show.

Singh's trial is currently set for January.

DWAYNE D. PERKINS, Jr.

A status conference took place for an upcoming robbery trial, wherein Dwayne Perkins Jr's jury trial was rescheduled from June 19 to Feb. 5, 2024.

Perkins, 26, is charged with a Level 3 felony count of armed robbery. He and another man, Adren Jefferson, are charged with holding up an employee at gunpoint at a 7-Eleven store, 2220 Elkhart Road, Goshen, in January 2017.

Perkins is also charged with armed robbery. A trial status conference will be held on Jan. 11, 2024.

TIMOTHY A. COFFEE

A robbery suspect pleaded guilty to a robbery dating back to Aug. 17, 2022. Timothy Coffee, 38, Elkhart, pleaded guilty to robbery, a Level 5 felony, and being a habitual offender.

Officers responded to a call at CVS Drug Store, 1210 N. Nappanee St., Elkhart, at 9:21 a.m. in reference to a robbery in progress. The victim, a cashier, told police that the suspect, later identified as Coffee asked him if they sold cell phones, and then entered and exited the store several times before holding up the cashier and demanding his keys and phone, collected the items, and left, according to court records.

While investigating, officers received another call for a domestic disturbance on Silver Street, with a suspect matching the description the cashier had given them. They found Coffee at Walmart and took him into custody, and recovered the car, but Coffee said he'd thrown the cell phone out the window. Coffee also alleged that he never actually had a gun, but an 'L' shaped piece of metal which, when covered by his backpack, appeared similar, the probably cause affidavit reads. Officers recovered it and the backpack by the doors of Walmart, 175 W. C.R. 6.

Per his plea bargain, which includes a lesser included offense of robbery, a level 5 felony, in place of armed robbery, a level 3 felony, Coffee is expected to serve seven years. Sentencing is June 22.

STATE OF INDIANA v. JOSEPH R. THOMPSON

One of two men accused of an attempted carjacking attended circuit court Thursday to plead guilty.

Jessie Haradon, 40, along with Joseph Thompson, 37, are charged with attempted robbery, battery, theft, resisting law enforcement, and impersonating a public servant July 5. According to Goshen city officers, they were dispatched to Wal-Mart, 2304 Lincolnway East, at 5:56 p.m. to investigate a car theft in progress.

There, they found Alan Bautista, 18, who reported being the victim of the attempted carjacking, during which he was battered and suffered a minor scrape to his arm that did not require medical attention. He told officers that Thompson and Haradon had also impersonated police officers, according to the report.

During Thursday's court proceedings, Thompson pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery. Sentencing is scheduled for June 19.

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.