Aliyaha Rae Whitaker

WARSAW — A Syracuse woman received a suspended sentence in Kosciusko Circuit Court Monday, Oct. 29.

Aliyaha Rae Whitaker, 22, 5270 E. Bayview Drive, Syracuse, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony. She was sentenced to one and a half years in the Kosciusko County Jail, with Judge Michael Reed ordering that the sentence be suspended and served on formal probation. 

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Jan. 18, an officer with the Syracuse Police Department responded to a domestic battery call. When the officer arrived, a male was standing at the front door holding a handgun. Upon seeing the officer, the male placed the handgun on the couch. The handgun did not have a bullet in the chamber, but contained 13 cartridges in the magazine.

Information provided in court documents state that the male had discovered a plastic bag of methamphetamine in Whitaker’s jacket pocket. The male confronted Whitaker, but Whitaker attempted to take the bag of drugs from his hand. 

According to Whitaker, the male retrieved his handgun from the closet and slid the action back multiple times, throwing unspent rounds onto the floor. The male then reportedly asked Whitaker, “Do you think I’m messing around?” Whitaker told the officer that the male never pointed the gun directly at her.

The male told the officer that when he confronted Whitaker about the drugs, she came at him scratching and biting. The officer observed scratches and bite marks on the male’s left bicep.

Reed ordered Whitaker to complete a substance abuse evaluation and any recommended treatment. She will be subject to random drug tests while on probation. Whitaker was given jail credit for one day. Pursuant to the plea agreement, remaining charges were dropped.