— Armed robbers confronted two bicyclists Wednesday morning in separate incidents near Nappanee.

Elkhart County police said the first incident occurred around 4:40 a.m. According to police, two males in a light-colored passenger car confronted a 29-year-old cyclist who was riding on C.R. 54 east of C.R. 9. The men — described as being 20 to 30 years old — pointed a long rifle at the bicyclist and demanded money.

The cyclist rode away. Police said the men in the car were unable to obtain money from him and drove away east on C.R. 54.

The second crime occurred around 7 a.m. on C.R. 9 north of C.R. 38. Police said two males in a vehicle similar to the one in the first incident approached a 21-year-old bicyclist and demanded money. Receiving it, they drove south on C.R. 9. Police ask that anyone with information about the crimes or the robbers involved contact the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department at 574-533-4151.

Assault/battery reports

• Philip W. Meek, 77, 1125 Juniper Place, Apartment 105, Goshen, was arrested on a charge of domestic battery around 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to Goshen police.

• Staff members at Bashor Children’s Home, 62226 C.R. 15, Bristol, reported being battered by a student at the school around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to Elkhart County police.

Special prosecutor agrees to Rodino case

Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards has accepted the appointment of special prosecutor regarding an allegation against Elkhart County Commissioner Terry Rodino.

Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill had requested that an outside prosecutor be appointed in the matter.

Allen County prosecutor’s staff said Wednesday the Rodino case is being investigated to determine whether charges will be filed.

Crash reports

• Aleida Franco, 28, of Elkhart, was traveling east on Ind. 120, west of C.R. 17 at 2:35 p.m. Tuesday. According to Elkhart County police, Darren Ross, 38, of Union, Mich., was stopped on Ind. 120, west of C.R. 17, and waiting to turn south into a private drive.

Ross’s 2007 Kia Optima failed to yield the right of way, turning left in front of Franco’s 2002 Kia Spectra, causing a collision. A passenger with Franco, Martha Franco, 51, of Elkhart, was transported to Elkhart General Hospital for neck pain. Ross was cited for failure to yield the right of way.

• Three individuals were injured in a two-vehicle collision at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday, according to Elkhart County police. Danny Thursby, 69, of Elkhart, was driving west on Ind. 120 in his 2011 Ford Expedition. Spencer Zhuang, 44, of Elkhart, was stopped in his driveway facing south and waiting to turn onto Ind. 120.

Thursby veered right of the north fog line leaving Ind. 120 on the northside of the roadway. His vehicle continued northwest off Ind. 120 and hit the mailbox belonging to Zhuang, then continued northwest hitting Zhuang’s 2008 Porsche Cayenne on driver’s side front quarter panel. This action caused Zhuang’s vehicle to spin to the west. Thursby continued northwest off Ind. 120 into a tree line on the northside of Ind. 120.

Xiaoxia Zhuang, 35, of Elkhart, was treated for left hip pain and Zhuang complained of pain to his head and shoulder. An infant child in their vehicle was not injured.

Thursby complained of pain to the chest. No citations were issued for this crash.

Man killed in Elkhart

An Elkhart man was shot to death around 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

Durwood Elliot III, 25, Elkhart, was found unresponsive in the 700 block of West Garfield, Elkhart, around 10 p.m. Tuesday evening by Elkhart police, according to a police report.

Elliott was transported to Elkhart General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from an apparent gunshot wound, according to the police report. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.

Anyone with information can contact Sgt. Steve Price at (574) 295-7076.



Theft/burglary reports

• An employee of Graber Custom Remodeling, Goshen, reported various hand tools stolen from the company’s work trailer around 4:30 a.m. Monday, according to Goshen police.

• Grace and Nathan Swartzendruber, Goshen, reported that someone altered the dollar amount on a check they had written, and that someone had opened a cable television account using their checking account information Oct. 28, according to Goshen police.

• Kylie A. Hewitt, 32, 1006 Michigan St., Goshen, was arrested at Meijer on Elkhart Road on a charge of theft after she was caught shoplifting around 6:49 p.m. Tuesday, according to Goshen police.

• Shawn E. Rouch, 502 Brookside Manor, Goshen, reported seeing someone in the driver’s seat of his unlocked van around 2:25 a.m. Wednesday, according to Goshen police. Rouch opened his house door to go outside and the person took off running with two other people, police reported. Rouch found nothing stolen or damaged.

• Jeffrey Spraulding, Goshen, reported fraud charges around 5:37 p.m. Monday to his bank account spanning over a period of three days, according to Elkhart County police.

• Stephen Stump, 20000 Regina Road, New Paris, reported vandalism to his truck parked at his home sometime between 9:30 p.m. Monday and 4:55 a.m. Tuesday, according to Elkhart County police. Someone broke out his truck’s window and took cash and personal items from the truck, police said.

• Michelle Hayes reported that sometime between 10:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:01 a.m. Monday someone stole more than 200 CDs from her 2002 silver Chevrolet Cavalier parked at 11396 C.R. 4, Middlebury, according to Elkhart County police.

Rifle found

A woman found a .22 caliber rifle and a blue jacket on C.R. 29, north of C.R. 142, Monday between noon and 1 p.m., according to Elkhart County police.

Vandalism/criminal mischief reports

• A woman reported her mirror on her vehicle was broken off by a 13-year-old student at Bashor Children’s Home, 62226 C.R. 15, Bristol, around 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, according to Elkhart County police.