Staff Report

Jeremy N. Archer

NAPPANEE — A Syracuse man was recently arrested after allegedly stealing a vehicle and spray painting it on two different occasions.

Jeremy N. Archer, 32, 14288 CR 50, Syracuse, is charged with theft, a level 6 felony.

On March 22, 2021, a Nappanee Police officer investigated a report of a stolen 2008 Dodge Avenger. A man said he went outside his home to start the Dodge Avenger and returned to the residence.

The man then heard what he believed to be loud exhaust outside. When he looked outside, the man noticed the Dodge Avenger was gone.

On March 31, 2021, an Elkhart County Sheriff’s officer engaged in a vehicle pursuit with the stolen Dodge Avenger, which was spray painted purple and sustained heavy damage at the end of the pursuit. Law enforcement could not identify the driver in the pursuit at that time, but the vehicle was forensically processed by the Nappanee Police Department.

During the processing, officers discovered information, including store receipts, connecting the stolen vehicle to Archer.

Upon further investigation, a Nappanee detective found store surveillance footage of Archer purchasing items corresponding to receipts found in the stolen vehicle. The vehicle was also seen in the Goshen Walmart’s parking lot on two occasions. In one security video, the Dodge Avenger had been spray painted blue and black. It was then spray painted purple in a second security video.

A can of spray paint was among the items purchased on two separate occasions at the Goshen Walmart by Archer.

The detective then spoke with an employee at Pack Rat Self-Storage, who said she remembered Archer requesting a storage unit large enough to store a car. A search warrant was executed on the storage unit on April 2, 2021. The storage unit was empty but did have tire tread marks inside consistent with those of a Dodge Avenger.

For this case, Archer was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Sept. 14, with a $6,000 surety and cash bond.