WARSAW —  Two subjects who were reported as suspicious persons at a Walmart parking lot earlier this morning, March 21, have been arrested. 

Joseph P. Gerber,

Joseph P. Gerber, 37, Warsaw, was arrested and incarcerated at the Elkhart County Correctional facility for unlawful possession of a police radio, a class B misdemeanor; carrying a handgun without a permit, a class A misdemeanor; obliterating identifying marks on a handgun, felony; and for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, a level 5 felony. 

A second suspect , a 28 year-old white male, who had a warrant for his arrest from the US Marshall’s Service for a weapons related charge and for dealing in methamphetamines, was taken into custody by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Local charges for this suspect, which includes conspiracy to impersonate a public servant and for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, will be forwarded to the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office for further review. The investigation is ongoing as investigators continue to search for the third party involved in this incident.

At approximately 8:06 a.m., Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department officers responded to a complaint of suspicious persons who were parked in a vehicle in the Walmart parking lot located at 30830 Old US Highway 20 in Elkhart. Upon officers’ arrival, two subjects were located in the vehicle with a handgun found in plain view. Officers continued their investigation and learned that a third subject had entered into the store which prompted officers to evacuate and search the building in an attempt to locate this individual. Officers were not able to find the third person and store video confirmed that the subject in question had already left the premises. 

The Sheriff’s Department applauds the quick actions of employees to report suspicious activity which allowed for early police intervention into this situation.