ST. JOSEPH COUNTY – Troopers on the Indiana Toll Road located a stolen truck on Sunday night, resulting in four men being arrested and taken to the St. Joseph County Jail.
On November 8, 2026, at approximately 9:10 p.m., Indiana State Police Dispatch alerted troopers that a stolen truck was believed to be traveling eastbound on the Indiana Toll Road in LaPorte County. The truck was described as a white 2024 Dodge Ram reported stolen by the Blendon Township Police Department that evening.
Trooper Brianna Santoyo located the truck shortly after it entered St. Joseph County, approximately 17 minutes later. After confirming this truck was the Dodge that was reported stolen, a felony stop was conducted near mile marker 73 on the Indiana Toll Road. Troopers safely took the driver and four passengers into custody.
The driver, identified as Manuel Flores, 31, of Toledo, OH, was suspected of operating while intoxicated. Santoyo, who is trained as a DRE (Drug Recognition Expert), completed an evaluation and determined that Flores was intoxicated on a controlled substance.
Assisting troopers from the Bremen District and additional Toll Road troopers located suspected marijuana in the Dodge. This resulted in the front seat passenger, Raul Martinez, 26, of Toledo, OH, being arrested for criminal conversion of an auto, a Level 6 felony, and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor. A rear seat passenger identified as Jose Hernandez, 40, of Toledo, OH, was arrested for criminal conversion of an auto, a Level 6 felony.
An additional rear seat passenger identified as Marcos Perez-Velasco, 39, of Aurora, IL, was arrested for criminal conversion of an auto, a Level 6 felony, possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. Martinez, Hernandez, and Perez-Velasco were all transported to the St. Joseph County Jail.
Flores was transported to a local hospital for a certified test for intoxication and was then transported to the St. Joseph County Jail for a criminal conversion of an auto, a Level 6 felony; operating while intoxicated endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.
