A Warsaw man was arrested Monday for breaking into a shed and stealing fishing poles and other property.
On May 1, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department received information that two men had broken into a shed at a lake cottage and removed a boat motor. The informant told officers that some subjects arrived and opened the hood of their vehicle, according to the probable cause affidavit provided by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s office. One man pretended to be working on the vehicle while the other removed fishing poles and a boat motor from the shed. Allegedly, the man working on the car yelled for the other man to hurry up. The informant took photos of the vehicle.
Police identifed the vehicle as belonging to Kurtis Gunkel, 41, of 55 EMS C29A Lane, Warsaw, and contacted him. He told KCSD deputies that the other man, Eric Swick, 35, of 5519 E. CR 950N, Syracuse, had told him that it was his cousin’s residence and that they were allowed to take the fishing poles.
KCSD observed the shed and confirmed that the latch was bent and wood was broken. The owner of the residence told police that he arrived home and found the shed was broken into. The itmes were valued at $1,000.
One of the stolen fishing poles was found outside of Swick’s residence. Swick has not been arrested. Gunkel was arrested for theft and burglary and booked into Kosciusko County Jail with a $10,250 bond.
