On 01/14/2014 just before 7:30 pm, The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of a road rage situation occurring westbound on US 20 near the LaGrange County line that stemmed from a vehicle repossession in Steuben County’s rural Jackson Township. At the time of the call, the parties involved had crossed into LaGrange County and were later stopped by LaGrange County Sheriff’s deputies. During the course of the initial investigation, eyewitness accounts indicated that an altercation involving the discharge of a handgun at a vehicle had occurred between the parties in 9700 block of west US 20 in Steuben County. Sheriff’s detectives from Steuben County and LaGrange County were called to assist in the investigation. Following further investigation by Sheriff’s detectives, 40 year old Michael R. Sutera of rural Angola, was taken into custody at the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Office by Steuben County Sheriff’s detectives. According to information received by detectives, Sutera had allegedly fired at least one shot at the vehicle subject to the repossession during an altercation involving Sutera and the parties who were repossessing the vehicle. Sutera was reportedly trying to assist a friend, who the vehicle was being repossessed from, with stopping the repossession when the altercation ensued. Sutera was later booking into the Steuben County Jail on one count of criminal recklessness with a firearm and one count of pointing a firearm, both class D felonies. He later posted a $1,000.00 bond and was released. The incident remains under investigation by both Steuben and LaGrange County detectives and, additional criminal charges may be sought. Assisting both Sheriff’s Offices in the investigation were the Indiana State Police and the LaGrange Town Marshals Office.
**Any criminal charge is merely and accusation. The Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.**
