Mishawaka Man Arrested For Area Shooting On June 20
Mishawaka Man Arrested For Area Shooting On June 20
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Mishawaka Man Arrested For Area Shooting On June 20The suspect in last week’s shooting incident has been arrested.
Jason Olen Neiswender, 40, Mishawaka, is charged with aggravated battery by a person who knowingly or intentionally inflicts injury on a person that creates a substantial risk of death or causes permanent disfigurement, protracted loss or impairment of a body function or organ, a level 3 felony; two counts of battery by means of a deadly weapon, level 5 felonies; and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a level 5 felony.
His bond was set at $125,000, according to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim, identified as Isidro Barrientos, 38, Cromwell, – not Andres Garcia – remains in critical condition. The release states false identification was initially presented to investigators in the aftermath of the June 20 shooting.
With the assistance of the Mishawaka Police Department and U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, KCSO detectives took Neiswender into custody Friday morning. He was arrested without incident at his home and is being held in the Kosciusko County Jail.
A probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday in Kosciusko County courts states that on June 20, KCSO deputies responded to an emergency call referencing a battery and battery with a firearm that had occurred.
KCSO and Warsaw Police Department officers arrived at Lassus Handy Dandy gas station on Buffalo Street in Warsaw and found the driver, identified as Pedro Macias, who had multiple cuts on his head and face and was bleeding. Officers saw a passenger – later identified as Barrientos – had blood on his chest area and appeared to have a gunshot wound to the chest. Barrientos was taken to Lutheran Hospital in critical condition.
Macias said he and Barrientos were leaving Aaron Egger’s residence and a big truck blocked the driveway. The driver, who Macias knew as Jake, exited the truck and started beating him with a handgun in the face and head inside the vehicle, knocking him unconscious. When he regained consciousness, Barrientos had been shot in the chest and could not breathe. He was able to drive past the truck and drove to Warsaw where he called police.
Officers got Macias’ cellphone and consent to look in it. On the phone, officers found numerous text messages and Facebook messenger on Macias’ Facebook account from Jake – later identified as Neiswender.
Officers searched Macias’ vehicle and found a bullet believed to be the bullet that hit Barrientos.
Macias was driven by officers to where the battery and shooting occurred, which was down the lane from Egger’s residence. Officers searched the area and found blood and a handgun along the road. The handgun had an empty cartridge jammed in the breech of the handgun, according to the affidavit.
Officers spoke with neighbors who said they heard screaming and arguing at Egger’s residence and later heard yelling down the lane. That was the area down the lane where officers found the blood and handgun and Macias said the battery occurred.
Officers spoke with Egger who said Neiswender was at his residence earlier that day.
KCSO deputy Neil Likens found the handgun belonged to Dakota Stutz. Likens spoke with Stutz who said he traded the handgun to a guy named “Bro.” From a photograph array, Stutz was able to identify Neiswender as the guy he traded the handgun to.
Macias also identified Neiswender through a photograph array as the person who beat him with the gun. He said he owed Neiswender money for a car deal.
Likens learned Barrientos was in critical condition and on a breathing ventilator with renal failure due to kidney damage. The hospital said Barrientos was shot in the right arm and the bullet went in a downward direction into his chest, down into the abdomen and into the kidney.
