Warsaw man accused of stealing police car back in jail on outstanding warrants

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ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- The man accused of stealing and crashing a Mishawaka squad car on Friday was arrested in Kosciusko County on Wednesday.

Forty-two-year-old Michael Lee Eppenbaugh of Warsawis now behind bars at the Kosciusko County Jail for several warrants.

Indiana State Police say Eppenbaugh was spotted at the Union Center Amish Store in Nappanee.

Once officers arrived, they say Eppenbaugh ran for it, then hiding in a barn on the property. Police arrested him once he was found hiding under haybales.

He's booked in the Kosciusko County Jail following the arrest after being released on a recognizance bond from the Cass County Jail earlier this week.

On Friday, authorities say Eppenbaugh was being detained for suspected shoplifting at the Menards in Mishawaka.

Then, handcuffed, police say Eppenbaugh climbed from the backseat to the front before driving off in a Mishawaka police car, leading a chase across state lines, ending in a crash in Cass County.

Eppenbaugh was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and reckless driving in Cass County and released from jail even with several warrants out for his arrest in Kosciusko County, where police caught him again Wednesday.

Those Kosciusko County warrants include unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, habitual traffic violator, resisting law enforcement, auto theft, possession of methamphetamine, residential entry, and ten additional misdemeanor warrants.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s office says Eppenbaugh was booked into the jail on five outstanding warrants for failure to appear, and those have no bond.


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