String of thefts
Police are investigating as many as 12 thefts from unlocked vehicles that occurred either late Sunday night or early Monday morning around 5 a.m. near East Stonegate Court and Park Ridge.
Bloomington Police were called to the area after one resident complained their GMC Yukon had been broken into, but while in the area, BPD noticed a number of other cars that looked like they had been ransacked, BPD Sgt. Dana Cole said.
Cole said the vehicles looked like they had been left unlocked, and there weren't signs of forced entry into any of the vehicles.
Man steals car, woman asleep in backseat
Early Sunday morning, three Indianapolis residents who were in town for a fishing tournament at Lake Monroe had their car stolen by Bloomington resident Thomas Jamerson.
Two of the three victims, who happen to be brothers, told police they had gone inside the Circle K gas station on North Walnut Street to get a few items and left their female friend asleep in the back seat of the car. The car was left running and unlocked while the brothers were inside.
While the two brothers were in the gas station, Jamerson got in the car and drove away at a high speed. Cole said the 18-year-old female started screaming once they parked at a house near the 800 block of Winding Way and North Kinser Pike, and she realized it wasn't her friends driving.
Jamerson claimed he didn't know she had been in the backseat and that he would take her back. After parking the car at the North Kinser residence, he picked up a backpack from the car, an iPhone 8 and several phone chargers before fleeing the scene. The woman then took the car and drove south on Kinser Pike, where Monroe County Sheriff deputies found and stopped her.
The woman was able to help law enforcement find the house and Jamerson on Monday morning. Jamerson was found around 1 a.m. Monday after a BPD sergeant recognized surveillance footage of him. After he was arrested, he waived his rights and explained it was his birthday, and he had been drinking, which was why he took the car.
His birthday was Thursday, June 21, a few days before the incident.
When police investigated the residence on North Kinser Pike they discovered it was owned by Cheri Hazel, who claimed at first she did not know Jamerson, but when searching the residence police found the backpack Jamerson had stolen from the vehicle. They did not find the iPhone 8.
Police also located several needles and other drug paraphernalia, along with several bags of what looked like meth. Both Hazel and Jamerson were arrested. Hazel was charged with possession of methamphetamine and maintaining a common nuisance.
Jamerson was charged with auto theft and theft.
Construction fire on Maple Street
There was a fire at 717 North Maple Street that managed to jump the alley and spread to 715 Maple Street. Cole said BFD responded and while they did not find any obvious cause for the fire, they would continue their investigation.
The 717 address was a vacant building used by the owner of both units as storage. Residents of 715 were evacuated without difficulty, Cole said.
