Staff Report

WARSAW — A Mentone man is facing multiple charges following a traffic stop.

Craig Randall Hurley

Craig Randall Hurley, 26, 407 N. Morgan St., Mentone, is charged with possession of methamphetamine; possession of syringe; and resisting law enforcement, all level 6 felonies; operating while intoxicated, driving while suspended and possession of a controlled substance, all class A misdemeanors. 

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Sept. 2, just after midnight, a Warsaw Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the area of Detroit Street in Warsaw. 

The officer activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, but the Monte Carlo continued north on Detroit Street, turned east on CR 250N and then pulled into a car dealership parking lot.

The vehicle eventually stopped in the parking lot of a Ford dealership but the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Hurley, did not put the vehicle in ‘park.’

The Monte Carlo was put in reverse and began moving back toward the patrol vehicle, then began to move forward. A police vehicle with emergency lights activated was positioned in front of the Monte Carlo and the traffic stop was completed. 

Initially, Hurley did not follow commands; however, he eventually turned the vehicle off and exited the vehicle.

A K-9 partner performed an outer air sniff of the vehicle and gave a positive alert, resulting in a search of the vehicle. Police found a container of marijuana, a bag with an orange pill identified as a schedule III controlled substance, methamphetamine, 10 syringes, a glass vial containing liquid, a silver spoon with brown residue and cotton balls.

Police noticed the odor of alcohol emanating from Hurley and asked him to perform field sobriety tests. Hurley consented to a portable breath test and registered .06 percent BAC.

Hurley failed three other tests.

He was advised of the Indiana Implied Consent warning, to which he would not provide a response without his lawyer present. Police applied for and received a search warrant to obtain a sample of blood and urine from Hurley, which was served at 1:28 a.m. Sept. 2. The sample was collected by Kosciusko Community Hospital lab for testing by Great Lakes Labs.  

Hurley is currently on pre-trial release in the Kosciusko County Circuit Court for the offenses of possession of a narcotic drug, a level 6 felony; unlawful possession of a syringe, a level 6 felony; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor. 

Hurley was booked at the Kosciusko County Jail Sept. 2 on a $5,250 surety and cash bond.