ETNA GREEN — Kosciusko County officers have arrested two individuals after a report of gunshots being fired in the town of Etna Green.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Deputies responded shortly before noon on Friday to the 200 block of west Railroad Street, Etna Green, in response to a 911 call of a male subject that had discharged a weapon.  A Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputy responded within minutes of the call, and located the suspect vehicle leaving Etna Green.  The officer followed the suspect vehicle northbound on SR 19 for a substantial time with his emergency lights activated, until the vehicle eventually pulled over near the area of County Road 600 North. 

Officers then took into custody the driver, Phillip Charles Stewart, 36, South Bend, and his passenger, Iris Patricia Hanson, 31, Elkhart, without incident.  During the traffic stop, a 9 mm handgun was located inside the vehicle, along with $600 in cash and a small, clear, bag containing a white powder substance.  Officers’ later field-tested the substance and found it to be methamphetamine.

As officers were conducting the traffic stop, other deputies, detectives and crime scene technicians met with witnesses near the original incident location on Railroad Street.  It was then discovered that a parked vehicle near the original call had been shot into by a firearm seven times.  Officers were able to determine that there had been an earlier argument at the location regarding a previous exchange of money.  Apparently the argument then escalated whereas Stewart became irate and discharged his handgun before fleeing the scene.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Stewart, and preliminarily charged him with felony intimidation with a deadly weapon, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and dealing methamphetamine.  A prosecutorial hold has been placed on his original bond of $50,250.  Hanson was arrested and preliminarily charged with theft, but was also discovered to have an outstanding failure to appear warrant issued from St. Joseph County, Indiana.  She, along with Stewart, are both being held in the Kosciusko County Jail.

The Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office advises that the defendant’s charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.