Hobart man gets 6.5-year split term for boy’s neglect, attacking relatives
A judge sentenced a Hobart man last week to a 6.5-year split sentence in plea deal for abusing his girlfriend’s son in 2021 and attacking relatives in separate incidents.
Blake Neyhart, 26, admitted to domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a person less than 14 years of age, a Level 5 felony, and domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a Level 6 felony.
It was his third plea deal. When Judge Gina Jones rejected the last plea agreement, she cited concerns for the boy’s safety.
For the boy’s abuse, Neyhart was sentenced to two years in Lake County Community Corrections and three years of probation. He must take parenting classes and complete drug and alcohol counseling. He is also required to wear a SCRAM bracelet for the first year of his sentence.
For attacking his relatives, he got six months in jail and one year in the Lake County Community Corrections Kimbrough work release program. In the latter case, if he completes the term, he can petition to knock the conviction down to a misdemeanor.
After the hearing on Oct. 23, defense lawyer Steven Mullins said his client had been in Lake County Community Corrections for a few weeks. The deal took extensive negotiations, he said.
Hammond teen charged with throwing lit firework into smoke shop
Hammond police allege a teen broke a window, then threw a lit roman candle into a smoke shop after buying a couple of ineffective CBD gummy packages.
Anterrio Yisrael, 19, is charged with two counts of arson, one count of intimidation and two counts of criminal recklessness.
He is held without bond until Nov. 4 until it is set at $5,000 cash surety.
His next court date is Oct. 30.
The owner of First Choice Tobacco, 1534 Indianapolis Blvd. in Hammond, told police the incident happened around 1 p.m. Oct. 13, which “filled it with smoke,” Det. James Onohan wrote.
A few days before, the man said Yisrael called after buying the first patch of weak gummies. He came back to buy two more over the next couple days.
“I’m coming over there to burn the place down,” the owner claimed Yisrael said, in court documents.
Police traced Yisrael through his debit card. He was arrested outside an apartment after a brief foot chase. He denied he threatened the shop owner, or tried to set the place on fire.
Investigators wrote he tried to say a visiting cousin did it. Yisrael’s relative said no one else stayed with them that day.