Two people were arrested and two others died after breaking into a residence in Dekalb County, according to Indiana State Police. A homeowner was accosted by four intruders armed with a pistol outside of Auburn shortly before daybreak.
According to court filings, the homeowner was awoken by his dog’s barking, which alerted him to two male and two female invaders. According to the owner, one of the female suspects threatened him with a pistol to his head. He claims that while she was holding him at gunpoint, two other intruders were taking goods from his home and demanding money.
Shaun T. Kruse, 42, Tabitha L. Johnson, 42, Rameica Moore, 36, and Dylan Morefield, 22, have been identified as the invaders. According to the man, they compelled him to write a $500 check with no name on it. He believes he was able to escape the suspects and get his shotgun before shooting Moore and Morefield.
He then directed Johnson to join Kruse, who was waiting outside in the getaway vehicle. He allegedly urged Kruse to dial 911 for assistance while holding the remaining defendants at gunpoint until police came. Kruse and Johnson were then apprehended by officers. Moore and Morefield were pronounced dead on the spot.
Kruse admitted to authorities that he and the other suspects had driven to the house the day before and approached the owner in an effort to extort money from him. He confessed that he and the accused returned to the house the following morning, and that Morefield was talking about being a gangster over and again. Kruse claims he sat in the car as the others stole the man.
Johnson informed cops that she and the accused were at the man’s house on both days and that she had been with the homeowner on occasion during the previous decade. She claimed she was merely attempting to retrieve personal stuff from the house. The cops, on the other hand, were skeptical of her tale.
Kruse and Johnson were charged with criminal murder and burglary with a dangerous weapon for the murders of their accomplices. They were detained and processed at the DeKalb County Jail. The homeowner has not been charged, according to the troopers.
Residents have been informed about the gunshot and are taking further measures. Locals appear to be unsurprised by the decision.
Individuals in Indiana can be prosecuted with murder if they die while performing a criminal, even if they did not directly take the victim’s life. The deceased’s remains were sent to the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center for autopsy.
The remaining defendants are being prosecuted not just for their roles in the burglary, but also for the murders of their accomplices. Maybe it will make would-be intruders think twice before breaking into someone’s home.
