Porter County Coroner IDs fire victim
The Porter County Coroner’s Office on Sunday identified the victim of Friday’s fire in Liberty Township as Rena Hardt, 59, of Chesterton. The investigation is ongoing pending autopsy and toxicology results, officials said.
Liberty Township firefighters were called around 5:11 a.m. Friday for a report of a house fire at the intersection of Pearson Road and County Road 1100 North. The small home was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, officials said.
A man who was seriously injured in the fire was conscious and talking when he was initially taken to Northwest Health in Porter, but his condition quickly deteriorated and he was transported in critical condition to an Indianapolis hospital, officials said.
The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the fire’s cause. Chesterton Fire provided mutual aid and the Porter County Sheriff’s Department also assisted.
Gary Police officer, family injured in crash
An off-duty Gary Police officer and his family were taken to area hospitals Friday when the police squad car the family was riding in collided with a semi, according to a release.
Just after 6 pm Thursday, Feb. 19, Lake County Sheriff’s Department police officers were dispatched to a crash with several injuries near the intersection of West Ridge Road and Hendricks Place in Gary.
A preliminary investigation revealed the driver of the Gary Police SUV was traveling westbound on Ridge Road when a semi turned north in front of the SUV to enter a parking lot on Ridge Road.
The two vehicles collided, leaving all occupants of the SUV with injuries.
The 27-year-old Gary officer and his 3-year-old daughter were treated for facial injuries. The officer’s 4-year-old daughter was transported to a hospital in Chicago with eye injuries. A 23-year-old woman who was the front-seat passenger in the squad car was taken to a Chicago hospital with injuries, including a broken knee.
The driver of the semi, a 41-year-old Hammond man, was not hurt. He was cited for making an improper turn. The semi was impounded.
The investigation into the crash is still ongoing.
“As sheriff, I extend my wishes for a full and speedy recovery for this officer and his family. We will continue to keep them in our thoughts as they continue to heal,” Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said in the release.
Jury convicts Chesterton man on multiple counts
A Porter County jury took just over an hour and a half to convict a Chesterton man of multiple charges, including strangulation of a pregnant woman.
Miguel Cruz Luna, 42, of Chesterton, will be sentenced March 19, according to a release from the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office. He is in custody at the Porter County Jail.
In addition to strangulation of a pregnant woman, a Level 5 felony, the jury on Wednesday also convicted Luna of domestic battery in the presence of a minor, a Level 6 felony, and intimidation, a Class A misdemeanor.
Porter County Prosecuting Attorney Gary S. Germann, in the release, praised the work of the Chesterton Police Department Officer Jorge Perez, Detective Lt. Justin Frever and all law enforcement officers involved in the investigation, whose efforts and dedication were critical to securing Luna’s conviction. He also commended the work of Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Hammer, who handled the case.
John Cantrell was the lead defense attorney, according to online court records. Luna, according to an online court docket, has four felony and misdemeanor criminal cases pending against him.
