Staff Report

Arthur Crit Martin

Joshua Ruben Mort

PIERCETON — Two men were arrested after a vehicle pursuit resulted in the discovery of drugs.

Joshua Ruben Mort, 27, 702 W. Tower St., Pierceton, is charged with resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony.

Arthur Crit Martin, 36, 2441 W. 250S, Warsaw, is charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a narcotic drug, and unlawful possession of a syringe, all level 6 felonies; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor.

On Feb. 2, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy went to a Pierceton residence to assist a Whitley County Sheriff’s Department deputy. The Whitley County deputy was looking for Mort, who had an active felony warrant out of Whitley County.

According to court documents, the KCSO deputy and Pierceton Police officers were en route to the location when they were informed Mort left the residence in a vehicle. The KCSO deputy found Mort and attempted to pull him over, but Mort did not stop for law enforcement.

During the vehicle pursuit, the deputy noticed items were being thrown out of Mort’s vehicle on multiple occasions. The pursuit ended on South CR 500E after another officer was able to maneuver their vehicle around Mort’s, forcing Mort to stop. Martin was a passenger in the vehicle at the time. Kosciusko County Dispatch said Martin had an active felony warrant out of Kosciusko County, and Martin was immediately detained.

Mort told officers Martin was throwing syringes from the vehicle and that he did not stop for law enforcement because he was doing what Martin told him to do.

Upon searching the vehicle, officers found meth, drug paraphernalia, and heroin. All of the illegal items were in Martin’s immediate reach. Officers then checked areas where items were thrown out of the vehicle and found three syringes.

Martin refused to speak with law enforcement.

Mort has already been arrested and released on his own recognizance. He has an initial hearing at 1 p.m. Friday, March 22, in Kosciusko Superior Court Two.

Martin has already been arrested and released on his own recognizance. He has a pretrial conference in Kosciusko Circuit Court on May 13.