Motorcycle stolen then ditched in the roadway; suspect detained by citizens until police arrived
/A 29-year-old man was arrested on two preliminary felony charges Sept. 16 after allegedly taking a motorcycle without permission as well as illegally possessing a syringe.
Dalton Wade Purvis, whose address was listed as homeless, was arrested by Jasonville Police Officer Skylar Scott following a report of a stolen vehicle.
Officer Scott was dispatched to a North Park residence in Jasonville on Sept. 16 in regards to a stolen motorcycle. The subject said he had last seen the motorcycle parked in his driveway on Sept 15. When he woke up in the afternoon of Sept. 16, the motorcycle was gone. He told Scott that Purvis and another male had been around the motorcycle recently and Purvis had been helping him work in his garage. During this time, Purvis told the subject he was interested in trading his vehicle for the motorcycle, but the subject said he was not interested in the trade.
The subject told Scott he had a security camera and would pull the footage to see who took the motorcycle. The subject later contacted Greene County Dispatch stating the footage was pulled up, so Officer Scott returned to the residence. The footage showed a male, identified as Purvis, sitting on the motorcycle, then pushing it out of the driveway. Purvis was then seen pushing the motorcycle north on Park Street, away from the residence.
Later in the evening of Sept. 16, the subject again contacted dispatch, this time stating Purvis had returned to the residence. The caller said he was holding Purvis in the garage until Scott’s arrival. Upon Officer Scott’s arrival, he observed several subjects inside the garage, one of which was Purvis.
When asked what was going on, Purvis said he pushed the motorcycle out of the subject’s driveway and when he was trying to push it back, he got tired and dropped it over on Walnut Street. The motorcycle was towed as at the time it was discovered, it was a hazard in the roadway. Purvis said he did not have permission to take the motorcycle but wanted to trade it for his vehicle.
When asked why he returned to the residence, Purvis said there were items in his vehicle that shouldn’t be there, so he was going to retrieve them. He said when he got to the residence several people confronted him. He alleged he was punched several times during the confrontation. Witnesses stated no one hit Purvis, according to the probable cause affidavit.
While speaking with Purvis, he advised Scott he removed a black zippered sunglasses case containing hypodermic syringe from the center console of his vehicle and placed it in a trash can next to his vehicle.The sunglasses case was located in a trash can next to the driver’s side door of Purvis’s vehicle. The sunglasses case contained a hypodermic syringe containing dark liquid substance.
Upon his arrest, he was booked into Greene County Jail with His bond was set at $8000 surety with 10% cash allowed. Jasonville Police Officer Skylar Scott was the arresting officer.
Purvis was scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court Sept. 20 for an initial hearing where he was formally charged with: Auto theft, a Level 6 felony and unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony.