Crime

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The Penn Harris Madison School Corporation admitted to violating the Civil Rights of students during a recent investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. The issue was investigated following a story by REAL News Michiana earlier this year that led to a complaint being filed by a parent.

FISHERS, Ind. -- REAL News Michiana has discovered Hamilton Southeastern High School administrators and staff appeared to dismiss sexual abuse allegations brought by the parents of a child with special needs earlier this year. Now, police have arrested the suspected abuser for an alleged rape of a different girl that occurred just a couple of months later.

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- REAL News Michiana has confirmed a member of the color guard staff for the Penn High School Marching Band has been removed following an RNM story uncovering a recent arrest. According to court documents, police arrested 37-year-old Ryan Paul Prebys for Operating While Intoxicated on August 6th. Court documents allege Prebys was drunk when he crashed his SUV into a ditch on SR 2 near Hollywood Road in South Bend. His blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit at .188.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- A man convicted of murdering an 11-month-old baby is seeking to have a sex change surgery paid for by the taxpayers of Indiana. Jonathan C. Richardson, 41, was convicted of strangling his 11-month-old step-daughter to death in Evansville in 2002. Richardson even admitted to the murder to law enforcement by telling them he "killed the little fucking bitch." He was sentenced to 55-years in prison and is currently being held at the Branchville Correctional Facility.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Indiana State Funeral Licensings Board released full details on the suspension of the license of Alford's Mortuary owner Donald Alford. According to documents posted to the government website, Alford received an indefinite suspension of his license. And, while he can petition to have his license reinstated in 6 months, there's no guarantee he will ever be able to legally perform funeral services again.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- REAL News Michiana has confirmed the identity of the woman who offered an undercover reporter and illegal abortion at her home for $500. RNM has confirmed she is 57-year-old Bridget Bridgeforth. RNM was able to confirm her identity through court records that matched her first name and the address she gave. It turns out, Bridgeforth has a history of criminal behavior including possession of illegal drugs.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- An employee for the Indianapolis based Clinic for Women abortion clinic offered to give an undercover reporter with REAL News Michiana an illegal abortion at her home for $500 on Wednesday. This comes one day after Indiana's abortion ban went into effect. RNM had multiple phone calls with the employee. All of them were recorded.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Mayoral candidate Desmont Upchurch (R) threatened violence against RNM reporter Clifton French for a story that uncovered Upchurch's history of violence toward women. Upchurch sent a text message to the reporter, disparaging his family before claiming he would have someone hit the journalist for him.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- REAL News Michiana has confirmed the Republican candidate for Mayor of South Bend, Desmont Upchurch, has a conviction for assaulting a female out of Durham, North Carolina. The conviction is from July of 2000 in which Upchurch pled guilty in what appears to be a deal to lower the severity of the charges to a misdemeanor with little to no probation.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- REAL News Michiana has learned the South Bend Police Department arrested a disabled veteran who was expressing his pro-life beliefs at a public park on Sunday. The officer cited what appeared to be a non-existent city ordinance before placing the 40-year-old father of 8 into handcuffs and carting him off to jail.