On Tuesday, October 18th, 2022, Marshall County Police received information regarding a possible location of a stolen excavator being at a residence in the 20,000 block of 14B Road in Culver. The equipment was reported stolen from Wabash County, that same morning.
Arriving in the area, Detective Snyder with the Marshall County Police observed a pickup truck pulling a trailer with the stolen excavator leaving the residence. The vehicle was stopped, and officers confirmed the excavator as being the same one that was reported stolen.
During the investigation, the driver of the vehicle, Jose Arciniega, age 25 of Hammond, along with a passenger, Virgil Tharp, age 33 of Gary, was taken into custody for being in possession of the stolen property. A third occupant in the vehicle, Brian Coleman, age 30 of Gary, was also found to have active warrants for his arrest through Lake County and Porter County.
After recovering the stolen property, detectives then went to the residence on 14B Road and located the resident, Jamie Nitcher, age 48 of Culver. A witness to the theft in Wabash was able to describe the pickup truck and trailer used to steal the excavator, which officers located at the residence registered to Jamie Nitcher.
Nitcher was taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail for Possession of the Stolen Property being valued at more than $50,000. He was held on a $1,500 cash bond.
Readers are reminded that charging information supported by an affidavit of probable cause is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed and that there is only probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. They are presumed innocent throughout the proceedings and are entitled to be represented by counsel and entitled to a trial jury at which the State is obligated to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a judgment of guilt may be made.
