A 42-year-old man was arrested on multiple warrants concerning burglary and theft charges over the weekend, according to police reports. The man, Blake Tweedy, was arrested last July for a string of attempted thefts and thefts of ATMs across multiple Indiana counties.
On July 4, 2023, Officer Joseph Schlosser with the Logansport Police Department was dispatched to the BP Gas Station and Logan Convenience Store at 210 Mall Road for a possible burglary, according to police reports. Upon arrival, Schlosser said he noticed a broken window and a roll of paper strewn from the window.
The business key holder said the only thing missing was the ATM that was located behind the broken window. Officers and detectives also viewed video footage that appeared to show two white males place the ATM in the back of a white pick-up truck and drive away.
Several days later, on July 13 and July 14, Detective Chris Rozzi was advised that there were multiple attempted thefts and thefts of ATMs in different counties across northern and northwest Indiana. After multiple law enforcement agencies met to discuss the thefts, it was discovered that the same white males were committing the attempted thefts or thefts, according to police reports.
Assistant Chief of Police of the Hebron Police Department Scott Sejda said the physical descriptions of the white males and vehicles matched with Blake and Branden Tweedy, who they are familiar with from previous involvements and disturbance calls.
Officers from multiple police agencies traveled to Hebron on July 20 to conduct search warrants on the property and vehicles, and the Indiana State Police Swat took the suspects into custody. Upon searching Blake Tweedy's residence, Detective Flaude Dillon found $642 in various U.S. currencies, while detective Jason Rozzi found $785 in various bills and a wallet in Branden Tweedy's residence.
Detective and sergeant Clayton Frye, along with Chris Rozzi, spoke to Blake Tweedy in an interview room and took a buccal swab. Chris Rozzi told him about the burglary in Logansport, to which Blake Tweedy said he was not in Logansport that day and requested an attorney.
In the other room, Branden Tweedy spoke to detectives from the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department and the Michigan City Police Department, although he denied involvement and said he was not speaking to anyone else. He also requested an attorney, according to police narratives.
Blake Tweedy was charged with one count of Burglary, a Level 5 Felony, one count of Theft, a Level 6 Felony, one count of Attempted Theft, a Level 6 Felony, and two counts of Criminal Mischief, both Class A Misdemeanors. The attempted theft and one of the criminal mischief counts stem from Blake and Branden Tweedy attempting to pry open the ATM at Logansport Savings Bank, damaging the ATM in the process, according to court documents.
Because of a previous theft conviction that took place in December of 2019 in the Lake County Superior Court Criminal Division 4, the third count was raised to a Level 6 Felony, according to court documents. An initial hearing was held Monday morning at 8 a.m.