Skylar Arlene Stahl

WARSAW — A Silver Lake woman was sentenced to four years at the Kosciusko County Jail for two cases involving theft and resisting law enforcement.

In the first case, Skylar Arlene Stahl, 20, 10950 S. Neer Drive, Silver Lake, was charged with theft, a level 6 felony. In the second case, Stahl was charged with resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony. A third case involving theft was dismissed as part of Stahl’s plea agreement.

On Sept. 18, 2018, an officer with the Silver Lake Police Department responded to a report of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle’s owner said he invited two men and a woman, later identified as Stahl, into his home. One of the men took the vehicle’s keys and placed them in a bag.

On Sept. 21, 2018, a woman said she gave Stahl a ride to a residence and that Stahl had been driving the stolen vehicle.

On April 14, an officer with the Winona Lake Police Department saw a vehicle driving left of center in the area of Wooster Road and CR 250E. As the officer began following the vehicle, the vehicle began driving at a high rate of speed. While being pursued, the vehicle disregarded several stop signs, crashed into a fence and drove through the backyard of a residence before it became disabled. Stahl was operating the vehicle and continued to ignore officers’ commands by pushing on the accelerator in an attempt to escape.

“Skylar has realized she’s made some very poor choices and wants to take full responsibility for her actions,” said Defense Attorney Travis Neff.

During court sentencing, Kosciusko Superior Court Two Judge Torrey Bauer discussed Stahl’s criminal history.

“You’ve been in trouble since you were 12,” said Bauer. “You were on probation out of St. Joseph County also for resisting law enforcement and then you obviously violated that here. Time’s going to tell whether you’re ready to change.”

Stahl was sentenced to two years at the KCJ for each case. Both sentences will be served consecutively.  The executed portion of the sentence can be served through Kosciusko County Community Corrections or work release. Bauer ordered Stahl to pay $500 in restitution to the victim in the September 2018 theft case.