LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s detectives are asking the public to help find a woman suspected of using a credit card stolen from a college student to buy gift cards worth $600 from Lafayette area merchants.

Surveillance image from Meijer on September 17, 2009

On September 17th of this year, Cassandra McKeown, a student at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, had her credit card stolen. Det. Pat Williamson of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department is investigating that theft. He contacted the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office when he discovered the credit card had been used at numerous businesses in Lafayette.

The credit card was used at Target to purchase gift cards totaling $200. The suspect also purchased gift cards in the amount of $200 at Shoe Carnival and $200 more in gift cards at Meijer.

Detectives have been unable to identify the suspect seen in the surveillance photos and are turning to the public for their help.

Surveillance image from Shoe Carnival

The black female who used the stolen credit card is seen in the photos wearing a yellow short sleeve shirt and has a child with her. The store clerk said the suspect had a tattoo on her neck that said “Jason.”

If you have any information about this female please contact Detective Nathan Brown at the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office, (765) 423-9388. Or, you can contact the We-Tip Hotline anonymously at 1-800 78-Crime.

Flavio Gonzalez of Lafayette, Indiana

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — On September 1, 2009 at approximately 11:00p, deputies from the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence located just off of County Road 200 East in southern Tippecanoe County. They were dispatched to the residence after a child had called 911 and reported that her father had a gun and was threatening to kill her mother.

Following an investigation into the incident, Flavio Gonzalez, age 39, of Lafayette, IN was arrested and charged with Attempted Murder (I.C. 35-42-1-1), Domestic Battery (I.C. 35-42-2-1.3), Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon (I.C. 35-45-2-1), Criminal Confinement with a Deadly Weapon ( I.C. 35-42-3-3), and Resisting Law Enforcement (I.C. 35-44-3-3).

He is currently being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail on a $100,000.00 bond.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Detectives are investigating an altercation that resulted in one person being treated at Home Hospital.

Jason Jerome Klinker of Lafayette is being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail with a $10,000.00 bond on preliminary charge of Battery Causing Serious Bodily Injury.

The Sheriff’s Office received a report of the injury at 12:30 a.m. after the victim, twenty-five year old Adam Jones, went to the Hospital to be treated for a stab wound to the chest. Jones, a Lafayette resident, was reportedly injured during a dispute over personal property that occurred outside of a residence located on Briarwood Court on the east side of Lafayette.

Jones was later treated and released from the hospital and investigators have since arrested twenty year old Jason Klinker of Lafayette. Klinker is being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail with a $10,000.00 bond on preliminary charge of Battery Causing Serious Bodily Injury as a Class C Felony (I.C. 35-42-2-1 (3).

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by Detective Thomas Lehman and Detective Greg Haltom and no further details are available at this time.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office will host its fourth annual “Fish Fry for the Red Cross” and for the first time, a car show, to benefit the local Chapter of the American Red Cross. The food and festivities, including face painting, hair coloring, ring toss and bean bag toss, and the inaugural car show are scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2009 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds on Teal Road in Lafayette.

The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office is no stranger to the services that the American Red Cross provides. The Red Cross routinely provides assistance to victims affected by disasters, notably the flooding that most recently impacted Greater Lafayette, and also administers care to local emergency personnel who are called to duty during those times.

“It has somewhat surprised me, over the past four years that this particular community event continues to grow and the enthusiasm has never waned. Every year we seem to come up with new and more innovative ideas to make that year’s event bigger and better than in previous years. It is a fun and rewarding way to give back to an organization that serves us and the community we serve. I commend the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office and all the other volunteers, they do a great job,” said Tippecanoe County Sheriff Tracy Brown.

American Red Cross Executive Director Bob Wollenburg agrees.

“Our partnership with the Sheriff’s Office is a great example of how much good can come about when we work together for a common cause. We appreciate the support of the Sheriff’s Office, the sponsors, volunteers, and the entire community. It is through all of their efforts that the annual Sheriff’s Fish Fry is such a huge success,” Wollenburg said.

Tickets are priced at Eight dollars ($8.00) for adults and Five dollars ($5.00) for children age twelve and under. Pre-event tickets may be purchased during regular business hours at the Sheriff’s Office at 2640 Duncan Road, or at the Red Cross Chapter House located 615 North 18th Street, Suite 101 in Lafayette. People wishing to order tickets by phone can call the Red Cross chapter at 765-742-6975, pay by credit or debit card and have tickets either mailed to them or held on reserve at the fairgrounds. Tickets will be sold at the fairgrounds on June 5th and carry-out dinners will also be available.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Two area grade schools were put on lockdown today (May 7) after receiving a complaint of a possible threat to the school.

On Thursday, May 7, 2009 at around 8:50a, Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to Hershey Elementary School after a student’s mother informed them that the student’s non-custodial father was going to try to remove the children from the school and that he might possibly be armed with a handgun.

Melissa Paxton, 33, of Lafayette was arrested and charged with False Informing.

As a precaution both Hershey Elementary School and the adjacent East Tipp Middle School were placed on lockdown while the investigation was pending. After approximately three (3) hours, the father, Richard Wireman (42) of Lafayette, was located in Plymouth, Indiana. He was arrested on an unrelated civil attachment (79D03-0207-JP-135) and is currently being held on a $1000.00 bond in the Marshall County Jail.

When detectives determined that Wireman had not been in the Lafayette area, the custodial mother, Melissa Paxton (33) of Lafayette, was arrested for False Informing as a Class a Misdemeanor and is she is currently being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail on a $250.00 cash bond.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Sergeant James D. Caldwell and Detective Thomas Lehman.