Warsaw man sentenced to two years for stealing Mishawaka cop car
MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- It's been more than 15 months since Michael Eppenbaugh of Warsaw stole a Mishawaka police car and took it on a chase across state lines, crashing it in Cass County, Michigan. On Wednesday, Eppenbaugh was sentenced to 24 months in prison for auto theft. He's also required to pay $18,640 to the City of Mishawaka for the car he destroyed.
New video ABC57 obtained through a public records request shows the aftermath of that crash, helping paint a better picture of what happened.
On December 1, 2023, Eppenbaugh was accused of shoplifting from the Menards in Mishawaka. He was detained and put in the back of a Mishawaka Police officer's squad car. The vehicle had a plexiglass partition separating the front seat from the back seat with a window for airflow.
Mishawaka Police Sergeant Steven Headley spoke with ABC57 in December of 2023 about how Eppenbaugh was able to get control of the squad car in the first place.
“The individual was able to get the handcuffs from behind his body to his front," said Headley. "He was able to crawl into the front passenger compartment of the squad car and he drove off in it while still handcuffed."
Police tracked Eppenbaugh from Mishawaka all the way to Cass County, where he crashed along M60 in Howard Township. The sheriff's incident report shows he tried to get away on foot, even fighting with an officer before he was apprehended.
Cass County Sheriff's Department body cam video shows a witness and a victim talking with law enforcement about what they saw happen.
"So, me and her, we were driving, like we were both [side by side] and then out of the corner of my eye, I see the white car," said one witness. "No sirens. No lights. Nothing. I saw the white car in between us, kind of, so I went to the side. When I went to the side, he hit the back of her car, and both cars just went spinning everywhere."
"I did, I think, a 360," said the victim. "I'm surprised I didn't roll."
"You spun around a few times," responded the witness.
Eppenbaugh was booked into Cass County Jail and then released on recognizance bond. At the time, Kosciusko County had active warrants out for his arrest.
The following week, Indiana State Police said Eppenbaugh was spotted in Nappanee. After another chase -- this time on foot -- he was back in cuffs.
As for what happened in the Menards parking lot, ABC57 filed several records requests with Mishawaka Police asking for things like body and dash cam video, surveillance footage, witness statements, and names of officers involved but were denied because of ongoing litigation.
Eppenbaugh is suing the Indiana State Police, the Kosciusko County Sheriff, and the City of Warsaw accusing them of excessive force while taking him into custody back in March of 2023, nearly nine months before he stole the cop car.
Eppenbaugh has a long criminal history. His license has been suspended for life. He's been convicted of burglary, auto theft, resisting law enforcement, and possession of drugs -- and those are just out of Kosciusko County.
He's currently in prison serving time for some of those charges out of Kosciusko County, and now St. Joseph County. Those sentences will run concurrently.
Prison records show Eppenbaugh could be released in November of 2029. But if that happens, he'll go right back to jail because Elkhart County also has an active warrant for his arrest.
Current Mishawaka Police Chief Alex Arendt wasn't in charge when Eppenbaugh stole the squad car but says he is taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. In a statement to ABC57, Arendt said, "The goal of our policies is to minimize risk and promote the safety of our officers and citizens. Inherently, there is a degree of risk in many of our operations. This incident was unfortunate, and we continue to reinforce policies through annual training."