Scott Thompson

WARSAW — A South Whitley Bloods gang member was arrested for criminal activity relating to graffiti that had been done to the Healing House Worship Center Church in Warsaw in December 2016.

Scott E. Thompson, 20, 503 S. Line St., South Whitley, is being charged with one count criminal gang activity, a level 6 felony, and one count of criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Dec. 9, 2016, a Warsaw Police officer responded to a report of gang graffiti at Healing House of God Church.

The officer arrived at the church and observed “Eastside 207 life” spray painted the east side of the church. The officer spoke with a church representative who explained she had seen the graffiti earlier in the morning and believed it to be gang related.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, there had been reports of graffiti in several other area locations on Dec. 6 and 7, 2016.

Officers discovered who had been involved with the  vandalism after responding to a gang fight that occurred at Mcdonald’s that occurred on Dec. 8. The fight broke out between gang members Frankie Winiavski, Jonathan Pappas and Coulter Slone. More on that story here.

After the fight took place, Winiavski told police he had been involved a gang called The Bloods for the last two or three years. He explained that he is allowed to recruit members for the gang. His group also has two cadets who were responsible for the “rolling 20s” graffiti in Warsaw.

Winiavski went on to tell police that Scott Thompson and a juvenile had done the graffiti on Healing House Worship Center Church in order be initiated into the gang. Winiavski testified he had observed Thompson and the juvenile spray painting the graffiti. Pappas also confirmed Thompson had written the gang graffiti on Healing House Worship Center Church.

Thompson, 20, was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Feb. 7, with a bond of $5,250 surety and cash.