A LaPorte man is being held in the Marshall County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond for 2 counts of Theft, 2 counts of Burglary, and 1 count of Shoplifting.
Johnathon M. Hudson was booked into the Marshall County Jail on a felony warrant on July 13th pertaining to alleged thefts from the Arby’s Restaurant in Plymouth in January of this year.
On January 11th Officer Matthew Emenhiser with the Plymouth Police Department was dispatched to 2206 North Oak Drive, Arby’s Restaurant for the report of a burglary. He met with manager Madison Keller who said she arrived at the store that morning and everything seemed normal. When she opened the safe, she discovered a blue Lake City Bank money bag with $661 missing.
On January 12th Officer Emenhiser contacted Arby’s district manager, Jamie Irving who was able to tell him the manager’s code that was used to open the safe because each manager has a specific code. On January 10th at 4:26 a.m. and January 11th at 1:15 a.m. the safe was open with a current manager’s code. The officer was also able to find surveillance cameras in the area that showed a dark-colored SUV in Arby’s parking lot at the time of the thefts.
Detective McIntyre used a Google Geo-fence warrant to track devices in the area at the time of the burglaries. It was found that Katherine Venckus and Nelson Bonnell’s devices were in the area at the time of the burglaries.
After multiple attempts, Bonnell was located at the Economy Inn on March 28th and agreed to talk with the detective. He said his step-mother Katherine Venckus was in his room at the Economy Inn the night of January 11th and after they went to Love’s Truck stop they went back to the room and Johnathon Hudson, who he had worked with at Arby’s. Hudson asked Bonnell to take a ride with him to pick up something at work (Arby’s). They went to the restaurant and Hudson went in and came out with a money bag. Hudson allegedly told Bonnell he took money from the restaurant the previous day too.
Detective McIntyre spoke with Katherine Venckus on March 28th and she agreed to come in the next day for a recorded interview but never showed up.
On March 29th it was learned that Hudson was on probation in LaPorte so the detective made contact with his probation officer and found out he was in rehab in South Bend.
On March 20th Detective McIntyre went to Venckus’ residence in Starke County and videoed an interview with her. She admitted to being with Nelson Bonnell and John “Junior” Hudson and she drove them to Arby’s in her black Jeep Cherokee. She couldn’t remember who went into Arby’s and didn’t know money was taken until they were back at the Economy Inn. They gave her $20 for gas and she left. Off camera, Venckus said that Bonnell had keys and used the manager’s code to steal the money. She also told the detective they indicated to her they stole money from the restaurant before.
Johnathon M. Hudson was arrested on a warrant on July 13th for the Plymouth case.
Readers are reminded that charging information supported by an affidavit of probable cause is a mere 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 by jury at which the State is obligated to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a judgment of guilt may be made.
