Jeremy Niebert

Guilty on four charges, a Winona Lake man was sentenced to  work release for leading police on a pursuit in January that ultimately led to him climbing a tree to hide and requiring the fire department’s help to get down. (See related)

Jeremy Neibert, 24, appeared before Judge Duane Huffer in Kosciusko County Superior Court I Tuesday to accept punishment for his Jan. 26 crimes. It was early on that Saturday morning when Neibert tried to outrun police in his vehicle leading a pursuit reaching speeds of more than 100 mph.

At about 3:37 a.m. that morning, a Warsaw Police officer was investigating a criminal mischief complaint on North Park Avenue in Warsaw when he saw a silver vehicle drive out of Lucerne Park with no lights and at a high rate of speed. The officer caught up to the vehicle near Sunset Drive and began pursuing the Chrysler 200 to SR 15.

The vehicle continued to flee and, at CR 600 North, Neibert lost control and collided with a tree. Police observed one set of shoe prints in the snow leading away from the driver’s door.

A Winona Lake Police K-9 tracked Neibert to a wooded area where he was located stuck about eight feet up in a tree with his left knee lodged in the tree. The Atwood Fire Department was called to free him.

In court Tuesday, Neibert pleaded guilty to D felony resisting law enforcement, D felony OWI, A misdemeanor possession of marijuana and C misdemeanor operating with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in the body.

According to court records, Neibert was sentenced to a total of 15 months in jail with no time suspended. His driver’s license was also suspended for 18 months.

However, defense attorney Scott Lennox who represented Neibert said his actual sentence is “6 months for fleeing, 6 months for possession” to be served consecutively, and “60 days for the OWI. So in actual time, Jeremy got 1 year, which is 6 months presuming good time credit. He has been accepted into work release and is currently participating in that program.”