Jun. 8—While Elkhart County Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno told Jonathan Mora Juarez that he found an enhanced sentence appropriate, his recently approved plea bargain agreement left him no choice but to sentence him on a charge of armed robbery to seven years at the Indiana Department of Correction.

Andres Castro and Jonathan Mora Juarez, both 25, were accused of threatening and robbing David Franklin Jr. and possession of marijuana December 2. According to a probable cause affidavit, Franklin was at Island Park watching geese when two men approached him.

He got "an odd feeling about them" and so he left the pavilion, but they later came up from behind him and got in front of him, one pulled out a black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at him. The other then threatened him if he did not give him his wallet or possessions.

They took his wallet, cell phone, and black backpack, running back toward the park, at which time, Franklin went to the police department to report the robbery. Witnesses also called from his office and reported seeing the robbery as it occurred. One witness took a photo of the subjects running away while another witness apparently got in his car and followed the two suspects who got into a vehicle and drove to and parked near a few shipping containers at Wal-Mart and began going through property.

KENYA JONES

An Elkhart teen who was waived to adult court on a robbery charge pleaded guilty and entered a plea agreement Tuesday.

Kenya Jones, 15, was charged with robbery, resisting law enforcement, and battery against a public safety official from an October 10 incident that occurred at Bashor Children's Home around 10:30 a.m.

According to police, Jones and two other girls, a 16-year-old and another 15-year-old battered an employee of Bashor Children's Home, punching her and kicking her several times before stealing her keys and running away from campus without permission. The trio was located by deputies in the area of C.R. 30 and C.R. 15 a few hours later and resisted law enforcement, punching and kicking them as well.

Later on, at the Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Center, Jones was also charged with two counts of battery against two law enforcement officials, a Level 6 Felony, for an incident on Nov. 20.

Jones' sentencing is July 6.

PEDRO PORTILLO

An Elkhart man is being charged with burglary and a series of violent felonies after an altercation with his ex-fiancé.

Pedro Portillo, 48, Elkhart, is charged with burglary, a Level 3 Felony; strangulation, a Level 6 Felony; domestic battery with priors, a Level 6 Felony; and intimidation, a Level 6 Felony, from an incident June 3.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Portillo broke into a home at 2731 Pleasant Plain Ave., Elkhart, threatening and battering his ex-fiance, Rosa Castro Torres. Around 9 p.m. June 3, witnesses on the scene told police a door at the home had been broken open, there was blood all over the house, and their friend was missing.

Officers pinged her phone and later found her. Castro Torres told police she'd agreed to meet him but when he came to the house around 11 a.m. and believed he was intoxicated or high on cocaine, acting strange, and being verbally aggressive, and punched her in her left eye so she ran into the home, but Portilla forced his way in the door and choked her. She was chased in and out of the home until she was able to lock the door and go to an upstairs bedroom, but Portilla again broke in, entering the room, pulling her hair, and choking her again, stating that he was going to kill her, then leaving.

Police found Portillo at 600 W. Wolf Ave., Elkhart, and confirmed bleeding injuries on his hands and wrists that they believed were caused by breaking in through the window. Portillo said Castro Torres had asked to meet with him, and that the doors were open, but later claimed his injuries were from opening the doors and that he did not hurt Castro Torres but did see a mark on her right eye. He later admitted to breaking the glass but asserted that he did not touch Castro Torres.

Portillo told police that he was in the home, and she asked him to leave, and when he saw the injury, he became jealous and demanded to know who had injured her. Police noted that Portillo has a prior unrelated battery conviction, and ongoing battery case against Castro Torres.

Portillo was appointed a public defender. Portillo is scheduled for a pretrial conference July 6, an omnibus date is scheduled for August 3, the trial status conference is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2024, and the case is scheduled for jury trial Feb. 19, 2024.

SIARRA PONTIUS

An armed robbery suspect learned that due to her possession of a knife during an alleged robbery, her charge would be a Level 3 Felony instead of a Level 5 Felony.

Siarra Pontius, 20, Elkhart, is accused of an armed robbery at 7- Eleven, 2805 Toledo Road, Elkhart June 2.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the cashier at the gas station told police by a translator that Pontius held up the cashier by knife around midnight June 2. The accused woman walked around behind the counter and removed cash from the register and ran into the woods west of the business. Approximately $300 to $500 in cash was taken.

The cashier also told police that Pontius is known by employees for shoplifting from the store and believed she lived at the 20 East Apartments, 2125 Toledo Road, Elkhart. A witness who had been entering the parking lot immediately following the robbery told police that he'd seen a red passenger car leaving at a high rate of speed, flagged officers down at the apartment complex, and indicated to them that he saw the same vehicle pulling into the complex and a woman 'running for her life' from the vehicle into an apartment across the parking lot.

The vehicle was registered to a man currently incarcerated at the Elkhart County Jail, and officers knew the man was in a relationship with Pontius and that she drove the vehicle, and confirmed her address to be at the apartments.

Around 2:24 a.m., Pontius was detained at the complex and through a search warrant, found two packs of Newports in a washing machine along with $107 in cash, and $50 wadded up in a 5-year-old's mattress. Pontius was also identified by the business owner from a surveillance photo.

Pontius was appointed a public defender. A pretrial conference is scheduled for July 6, a trial status conference is scheduled for Jan 25, and a jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 19

EMILY PICH

A financial fraud case saw its first day in court Thursday. Former Key Bank employee Emily Pich, 41, is accused of taking out a credit card, personal loans, and a home equity line of credit under Yom and Hong Ean.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the couple's son contacted police on Nov. 24, 2021 regarding a foreclosure notice from Key Bank on his parent's house at 2617 California Road, Elkhart. Key Bank had told him that Pich had taken out a home equity line of credit March 14, 2014, against the Ean's without the bank's permission, and also opened a credit card in their name in July 2013, and taken out a personal line of credit in Nov. 2015 and that Key Bank was holding Pich responsible for the fraudulent loans.

Documents submitted to police from Key Bank show Pich took out the lines of credit purported to be signed by the Eans. The home equity line of credit had an outstanding balance of $65,479.40, and payments were made on time until early 2020, keeping the loan from going into default and preventing Key Bank and the Eans from discovering the fraud. Upon default of the loan, Key Bank discovered the fraudulence, and the account was closed January 20, 2022.

The personal line of credit had an outstanding balance of $8,621.68, and the credit card had an outstanding balance of $2,329.64 and was closed March 18, 2022.

Pich indicated that she is retaining attorney Sharon Bilbrew as representation. A pretrial conference is scheduled for July 6, a trial status conference is scheduled for January 25, and a jury trial is scheduled for February 19

BLAKE REFFETT

An Elkhart man attended Elkhart Circuit Court Thursday for an initial hearing related to a bestiality charge. Blake, Reffett, 20, Elkhart, is accused of intimidation with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 Felony, and bestiality, a Level 6 Felony, from an incident March 11, 2022.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Reffett's mother contacted Elkhart Police Department advising that she's seen her son engaging in a sexual act with her dog, pinned on the couch, at 811 Liberty St., Elkhart. She also told police that he had grabbed a hammer and told her to sit on the couch and not to get up or call the police otherwise he would hit her in the face with the hammer, kill her, and then burn her. Officers observed the dog to have red marks and blood on him.

A veterinarian reported to the police department a preliminary diagnosis of trauma to the dog, including trauma around the dog's foreskin. Officers conducting a search warrant at the property later on June 10, also indicated they heard Reffett making reference to place a hit on his mother.

Reffett was appointed a public defender. The pretrial conference will be on July 6, an omnibus date is scheduled for August 3, the trial status conference is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2024 and the case is scheduled for jury trial Feb. 19, 2024.

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.