Staff Report

Jeffery Ryan Price

WARSAW — A Warsaw man was recently arrested after allegedly breaking into a woman’s home and following her in a vehicle while violating a protective order.

In the first case, Jeffery Ryan Price, 39, 1834 Hepler Drive, Warsaw, is charged with residential entry, a level 6 felony; and domestic battery, interfering with the reporting of a crime, invasion of privacy and criminal trespass, all class A misdemeanors. He was also charged with stalking, a level 5 felony; intimidation, a level 6 felony; and invasion of privacy, a class A misdemeanor, in a second case.

On March 12, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s officer responded to a report of battery at a residence. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a woman about the incident.

According to court documents, the woman said Price came to the residence with her permission to remove a stereo out of her vehicle that was parked in a garage. While in the garage, Price allegedly accused the woman of having another man inside the residence and entered the home without permission. The woman told Price to leave but he refused.

When she tried to contact police, Price attempted to take the woman’s phone from her by holding her down on a bed and hitting her several times on the back of her head. The officer didn’t notice any injuries on the woman’s head but did notice a scratch on the woman’s neck. The woman said that scratch was from an altercation that occurred the day before.

In February, a protective order was issued prohibiting Price from having any contact with the woman.

On May 1, a Warsaw Police officer received a report of a protective order violation. A woman said that she was in a vehicle and was being followed by Price. The woman who reported the violation is the same woman from the March 12 incident.

The woman said Price was actively following her while she traveled in Warsaw. The officer checked the area where the woman traveled and did not find Price or his vehicle.

Court documents state the woman was traveling to work with a co-worker. Upon arrival, the two noticed Price in their employer’s parking lot and continued driving. When they did this, Price began to follow them in his vehicle. While her co-worker was trying to drive away, Price began driving up to the side of the vehicle and cut them off.

The officer reviewed surveillance footage from the woman’s employer and saw Price’s vehicle in the parking lot and the vehicle the woman was traveling in. The woman said Price has violated the protective order she has against him multiple times.

After the initial call from the woman, dispatch advised the officer of another incident involving Price threatening to go to the woman’s place of work and shoot the people there. Price called the establishment and asked for the woman to be put on the phone. A man who worked at the establishment was familiar with the ongoing situation and had received several calls from Price previously. While on the phone, Price said he had “nothing to lose” and threatened to “shoot the place up.”

Later that day, the officer found Price in a parking lot. Price admitted to driving to the woman’s place of work and waiting for her there. He also said he was aware of the no-contact order.

Price was arrested on May 1.