A woman who arrived at the Warsaw Police Department on Tuesday told officers she was being followed by a man she didn’t know.
While traveling eastbound on U.S. 30 in the area of Valparaiso, she noticed a green car appeared to be following behind her. At one point the car pulled up beside her and the man inside waved to her. The woman said there were at least three occasions when she would intentionally switch lanes and the car would also switch lanes, cutting off vehicles that were already in the lane.
When she arrived in Warsaw, she exited 30 and traveled on multiple city streets while searching for the location of WPD via a mobile device. She alleges that the man continued to closely follow her as she turned onto each street.
Upon locating and pulling into the police station parking lot, the man pulled in beside her. She immediately drove out of the lot and called 911. Central Dispatch told her to return to the police department and go inside.
During the 911 call, the female drove around the block as the man continued to pursue her, according to police. She pulled back into the Warsaw Police parking lot and quickly exited her vehicle as the man again pulled into the parking lot, parking next to her vehicle.
Staff members of WPD observed the suspicious activity and immediately brought the woman into the secure facility. WPD officers then made contact with 54-year-old Rodney Falls of Valparaiso in the parking lot.
Falls told officers he was just driving to Warsaw because it was a nice day but would not give a purpose for his travel or his final destination. After being told of WPD’s surveillance video, he subsequently admitted to following the woman, but again failed to provide a purpose.
Falls says he didn’t know the woman. It is believed by investigators that Falls was unaware he had pulled into a police station parking lot.
Falls was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail where he was booked in for Stalking, level 6 felony, and possession of marijuana, misdemeanor.
The Warsaw Police Department is diligently investigating the incident and have broaden the scope of the investigation to include additional jurisdictions.
