Staff Report

PIERCETON — Five people were arrested after law enforcement investigated a report of multiple underage individuals drinking alcohol at a Pierceton residence.

Dean Yosef Hajaji, 18, 1133 W. Winona Ave., Warsaw; Maximus Thomas Beetz, 18, Fort Wayne; David Bryan Sturdivant III, 19, 225 W. Rush St., Kendallville; Asia Rain Pullin, 18, 1446 N. Shagbark Drive, Warsaw; and Omar Fausto Ponce, 20, 222 N. Fort Wayne Ave., Warsaw, are each charged with consuming alcohol as a minor, a class C misdemeanor.

On March 7, Pierceton Police officers responded to a report of suspicious individuals walking near a residence with flashlights. Upon arrival, officers noticed a multitude of vehicles parked in the area.

According to court documents, a man said he invited a few friends to come over, but that a multitude of people he didn’t know showed up at the home to party. Upon entering the home, officers noticed approximately 25 people in the home’s common area, with various alcoholic beverage containers in plain view.

Hajiji, Beetz, Sturdivant, Pullin, and Ponce all had positive results for alcohol in their systems. Additionally, four individuals under the age of 18 had positive results.

During the investigation, several individuals fled in a vehicle at a high rate of speed, before ultimately crashing the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Two of those individuals were under the age of 18 and tested positive for alcohol.

Beetz, Pullin, and Sturdivant have already been arrested and released on bond. They have initial hearings at 1 p.m. Monday, April 21, in Kosciusko Superior Court Two.

Hajaji and Ponce have already been arrested and released on their own recognizance. They have initial hearings at 1 p.m. Friday, April 25, in Kosciusko Superior Court Two.