Teen Faces Charge After Thefts From Unlocked Cars In Mobile Home Park

(photo supplied / Times Union)

An 18-year-old man accused of stealing vehicles for joy rides and rifling through unlocked cars for wallets was arrested Friday.

Devan M. Landry, 18, of 704 E. Center St., #33, Warsaw, and also an address of 12600 S. Ind. 13, Lot #33, North Manchester, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail at 10:20 p.m. Friday for theft, a Class A misdemeanor.

That charge stems from an Aug. 30 incident in which Landry was allegedly seen entering the Regency Estates Mobile Home Park in Pierceton and going through unlocked vehicles in the area. According to the probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday in Kosciusko Superior Court II, a woman called police at 12:48 a.m. and said she witnessed a dark-colored SUV pull into the area and three men going through unlocked cars. When police arrived, according to court papers, they spoke with Landry and two juveniles with him who said they were dropped off at a nearby gas station and had walked there. Police found car keys thrown on the ground near Landry and located a dark-colored Chevrolet Equinox. The keys belonged to the Equinox.

When police asked Landry if he had any weapons and Landry was patted down, police discovered a wallet in his pocket. Landry told police it was his girlfriend’s, however, police were able to determine the wallet belonged to a woman in the trailer park. The woman reported her wallet was stolen from her vehicle, court papers state. Landry then told police he stole the Equinox but would have to show them where he took it from because he could not describe it.

When police and Landry returned to the residence of the stolen vehicle, the car’s owner said she did not want to press charges. Police charged Landry for the theft of the wallet and he was being held on a $600 bond.

Landry appeared in Kosciusko Superior Court III on Sept. 12 to face two Level 6 felony theft charges stemming from incidents on Aug. 27 and Aug. 29 in which vehicles were stolen.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed Sept. 10 in Superior III, a man called police on Aug. 27 and said his red Pontiac Grand Prix was stolen over night. The car was later located, unoccupied, court papers state.

On Aug. 29, police received a call from a woman who said her red Hyundai Sante Fe was stolen overnight. Police later found the woman’s vehicle in an alley, unoccupied.

On Aug. 30, police were told the sheriff’s department had apprehended Landry in a separate vehicle theft, and upon questioning, court papers state, Landry admitted that he and two juvenile friends stole the vehicles to take them on “joy rides.”

Landry was released on his own recognizance for those charges. He’s due in Superior Court II at 1 p.m. Oct. 7.