Thomas Edward Skeens

A man wanted in Kosciusko County forced a lockdown of schools in Miami County and had police from at least three agencies in pursuit. The man, identified as Thomas Edward Skeens, 43, of Claypool, fled the scene of a drug arrest Thursday night.

StaceyPageOnline.com just learned that Skeens was captured in Silver Lake just after 5 p.m. today.

Sgt. Chad Hill of the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department said KCSD deputies and Drug Task Force officers had been looking for Skeens since Thursday evening. Officers went to 5790 S. Maple Grove Ln., Warsaw, in an attempt to locate Skeens and Gregory Price Scott, 48, of Warsaw, both of whom were wanted on active warrants.

Skeens reportedly left the area prior to the officers arrival. Scott, however, and Carrie Ann Faas-Sechrist, 40, of South Whitley, were at the residence. Faas-Sechrist was found to have an outstanding failure to appear warrant from Kosciusko County on the original charge of possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

“This morning,” Sgt. Hill said, “(officers) received a tip of a vehicle (Skeens) was in and it was spotted along SR 114 south of Disko” in Fulton County.

Schools in the North Miami Community School District were on lockdown after Skeens abandoned his van in a flooded area and fled on foot.

Gregory Price Scott

Carrie Ann Faas-Sechrist

Police say the van Skeens was driving was spotted in Fulton County at the Miami-Wabash County Line Road. Skeens reportedly drove into the high water and became stuck. He immediately fled the vehicle on foot westbound through a field and then into a wooded area.

The scene was taken over by the Miami County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State Police from the ISP Peru Post. A perimeter was established and K-9 units were brought in to assist in the search, which was unsuccessful.

The manhunt was taking place near the Wabash-Miami County Line. Officers from Kosciusko County were also involved in the search. Skeens was being sought for a class D felony charge of possession of methamphetamine precursors with intent to manufacture, and a misdemeanor charge of battery. Additional charges of fleeing/eluding law enforcement could possibly be issued from Miami County.

An anonymous tip from a citizen allowed KCSD deputies and an Indiana State Trooper to apprehend Skeens near the intersection of Main and Columbia streets in Silver Lake after he had fled out of a business.

Skeens was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Kosciusko County Jail where he is currently being held on a prosecutorial hold.

Scott was arrested Thursday night on a Whitley County warrant for nonsupport of a dependent/child. DTF officers also located finished methamphetamine on Scott, who was subsequently charged with dealing/manufacturing methamphetamine. His bond is set at $10,000 for Kosciusko County and he’s being held without bond from Whitley County.

Carrie Ann Faas-Sechrist’s bond is currently set at $25,000.