NAPPANEE – A Nappanee man was arrested Friday for neglect of a dependent, a level 6 felony, and resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor.
Stewart M. Hummel, 37, of 1125 S. Jackson St., Nappanee, was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail Friday evening and his bond was set at $5,250.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office, a Nappanee police officer responded to a lost child that was found alone at an intersection in Kosciusko County.
The officer arrived and spoke with a male witness who advised there was a small child, approximately 3 to 4 years old, wearing no shoes and a dirty diaper walking around in the street. The officer picked up the child and drove around until she pointed out her residence at 1125 S. Jackson St.
The officer knocked on the door of the home and a subject he knows as Stewart Hummel came to the door. Hummel told police he was not sure how the girl got outside. The officer observed another child inside the residence and noticed the home was extremely messy with trash on the floor. The officer notified Hummel he was going to notify Child Protective Services of the incident.
The officer left the residence and found there were active warrants for Hummel in Marshall and Stark counties.
Officers returned to the residence and advised Hummel of the arrest warrants. Officers then attempted to contact the children’s mother to come home before officers arrested Hummel. Hummel then ran from the residence and both young children attempted to follow him after he ran. Officers pursued him into a wooded area and searched for Hummel, who had abandoned the children.
Officers took the children and contacted CPS, who came and took the children into their possession. Several hours later, caseworkers from CPS returned to obtain clothing for the two children.
While gathering the clothes, officers found Hummel in the master bedroom inside his residence and he refused to exit. Officers received information that Hummel had firearms inside the residence and used a robot in an attempt to locate him. Officers abandoned the use of the robot to locate Hummel because trash inside the residence was so great it kept plugging the tracks of the robot.
Officers received information that there was a trap door that led to the crawlspace and the attic from the master bedroom. Officers used Oleoresin Capsicum gas, a form of pepper spray, in the crawlspace and attic in an attempt to get Hummel to exit the residence. Approximately four hours after finding Hummel in the residence, he was taken into custody.
Officers spoke with the children’s mother who advised she had received a phone call from Hummel stating that there were warrants for his arrest and he ran from the police and the police have their children.
