INDIANA — The arrest of a fugitive who authorities say cut off his ankle monitor led to the discovery of drugs and the arrest of three people Monday in Steuben County.
According to the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, detectives were conducting surveillance on a home on County Road 550 West in Milgrove Township when they spotted 35-year-old Dayton Penland of Fremont getting into a vehicle.
Officers stopped the vehicle a short time later and found Penland hiding in the back seat. The driver was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of assisting a criminal. Suspected methamphetamine and marijuana were also found in the vehicle, and additional charges may be filed.
While detectives waited for a search warrant for the home, they saw another man leave the property in a vehicle.
Officers later stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver, identified as 50-year-old Christa Gilbert of Auburn, was taken into custody along with the passenger, 54-year-old Arthur Garcia Jr.
Authorities said both Gilbert and Garcia were arrested on various felony drug charges after officers found illegal drugs in their possession.
After obtaining a search warrant, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Special Response Tactical Team, with assistance from the Auburn Police Emergency Response Tactical Team and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s SWAT team, searched the property and found suspected methamphetamine and other items associated with a drug operation.
The investigation is ongoing.
