Indiana Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers arrested a father and son after finding two stolen motorcycles in the 300 block of Jonesville Road.
Officers Jet Quillen and Jay Noble were patrolling in Bartholomew County at about 6 p.m. Thursday when they checked a property with a private access road along Jonesville Road where the property owner had said he did not want any trespassing.
They saw two Harley Davidson motorcycles on the property, but did not see the riders initially, Quillen said. Then, two men came out of the woods and the officers asked them what the two were doing as they were on private property, he said.
When the officers asked for identification, one provided a driver’s license, but the other said he did not have any identification on him, Quillen said. The person without the ID hesitated when asked to provide his date of birth, the officer said.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
When his information was checked, it did not match the suspect and he was taken into custody. When searching him, officers found marijuana and methamphetamine, Quillen said.
When officers ran the plates on the motorcycles, the plates came back to a Honda and a Suzuki, Quillen said. When the vehicle identification numbers on each motorcycle were checked, one of the Harley motorcycles had been reported stolen in Indianapolis and the other was reported stolen from Dallas, Texas, Quillen said.
Arrested were Victor N. Burton, 56, of 3170 W. County Road 600S, on preliminary charges of criminal trespassing and theft/receiving stolen property, and his son, Justin L. Smith, 34, of 225 Hinman St., on preliminary charges of criminal trespassing, theft/receiving stolen property, possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana, Quillen said.
Burton has bonded out of the Bartholomew County Jail, jail officials said. Smith was being held in lieu of $77,000 bond, jail officials said.
Both men claimed to need medical attention at the scene and were transported to Columbus Regional Hospital to be checked before being taken to jail, Quillen said.
The DNR is now working to return the motorcycles, valued at $5,000 to $10,000 each, to their owners, Quillen said.
