Full Notification

Warsaw Man Arrested Following Altercation and Flees Police

February 4, 2013

On Saturday, February 2, 2013 at approximately 11:06 p.m., an off-duty Warsaw Police officer observed a fight between a male and female in a pick-up truck on West Market Street in Warsaw. The off-duty officer observed the truck accelerate quickly, leaving behind a female. The truck then stopped and started backing toward the female as the female ran away. The truck continued backing up over the curb toward the female as she continued running, in an apparent attempt to run her over. The female was able to flee and hide behind a dumpster. The truck then sped off eastbound on Market Street. The off-duty officer had called in to the Kosciusko Central Dispatch Center and provided a description of the blue Nissan pick-up truck to responding officers. The pick-up truck was then observed by police traveling eastbound on Market Street about 4 blocks away from the scene and Warsaw police initiated a traffic stop on the truck. After stopping the truck, the driver was ordered out of the truck, but then sped away leading police on a pursuit through downtown Warsaw running many red traffic signals without slowing down. The pursuit continued south on State Road 15 and near County Road 200 South the truck lost control driving through a fence. The truck regained control and continued to Ferguson Road and County Road 250 South where the truck lost control again and stopped in a ditch. The driver then fled on foot walking west away from the truck. As the suspect neared a house, officers commanded the suspect to stop but he continued. The suspect was then tasered and taken into custody. The suspect, Robert T. Garcia, 36 years of age, of 2415 W. 250 S. Warsaw, IN., was intoxicated and was medically cleared at Kosciusko Community Hospital before being booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on charges of felony resisting law enforcement, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, criminal recklessness with a motor vehicle, and misdemeanor charges of driving while suspended and fleeing law enforcement. Felony charges for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, with a prior arrest, are pending the results of a legal blood draw. The female, a 38 year old woman from Warsaw, IN., was injured from the altercation with injuries to her head and hands. She was transported to Kosciusko Community Hospital for her injuries and was also intoxicated. The Warsaw Police Department was assisted by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department and the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s office.

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