Teen held in vandalism spree

BY JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Staff Writer

Seventeen residents north of Warsaw reported damage to the tires on their vehicles early Wednesday morning.

According to a report from the Kosciusko County Police Department, Dan P. Nisbet, Deer Run, Warsaw, called police around 12:18 a.m. Wednesday to report that the tires on two on his vehicle had been slashed.

Nisbet told police his neighbor, Danial J. Gunter, Deer Run, Warsaw, said he saw the person who committed the crime.

Gunter told police he heard a loud pop and looked out his window around 11:40 p.m. Tuesday and saw someone slashing the tires on Nisbet’s vehicles and went outside to ask the person what he was doing. The person started walking east on Deer Run and headed toward Whispering Pines Trailer Park.

When police arrived, they followed footprints in the snow from Nisbet’s home to CR 100E, Levi Lee Road, and eventually to the east entrance of Whispering Pines Trailer Park.

While following the footprints in the trailer park, police noticed several more tires slashed on vehicles.

The footsteps led to lot 187 at the trailer park, where police knocked on the door and found Donald Talovich.

While talking to Talovich’s mother, police observed a pair of black tennis shoes that were still wet.

After initially denying his involvement in the incident, Talovich later reportedly admitted he cut the tires using a box cutter.

Talovich, 18, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail Wednesday for criminal mischief. His bond was set at $500.

The incident remains under investigation by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.