(La Porte County, IN) - An attempt to steal an ATM in La Porte County resulted in the arrests of a father and son suspected in numerous similar crimes throughout other parts of northern Indiana.

 

Blake Tweedy, 41, and Branden Tweedy, 23, have been charged in La Porte Circuit Court with Level 5 felony Burglary and Level 6 felony Attempted Theft.

 

Sheriff’s Deputies, at about 12:30 a.m. on July 8th, responded to a burglary alarm at the Family Express at 4093 E. U.S. 20 in Rolling Prairie.

 

The investigation reveals one of the men allegedly shattered the front window with a metal instrument, thought to be a bar or pipe.

 

A tow strap, fastened to the back of a pick-up truck, was wrapped around the ATM inside the store.

 

One of the men in the truck accelerated, only for the strap to break upon gaining tension. Police said the ATM was damaged, but not removed from the store.

 

Court documents reveal the suspects were identified from store surveillance, which captured the license plate number of the vehicle registered to an address in Hebron where both men resided in separate apartments. The physical descriptions of the men also match the images of the suspects caught on the video.

 

According to Indiana State Police, the men allegedly stole a motorcycle at the Harley Davidson Shop on U.S. 421 outside Michigan City a day before they were arrested on July 20th.

 

The men are also suspected in ATM thefts or attempted thefts in other Indiana counties such as Porter, Starke, Pulaski, Newton and Cass.