Matthew Theodore Hanes
Josiah Andrew Balke
PIERCETON — Two men were arrested for stalking after allegedly following two people from Pierceton to Warsaw.
Matthew Theodore Hanes, 19, 4803 E. SR 14, Claypool, is charged with stalking, a level 6 felony; and criminal recklessness, a class B misdemeanor.
Josiah Andrew Balke, 20, 208 S. Maple St., Pierceton, is charged with stalking, a level 6 felony; aggressive driving, a class A misdemeanor; and criminal recklessness, a class B misdemeanor.
On May 24, a woman called 911 and said she was being pursued by two vehicles, with the drivers boxing her in her vehicle. Officers with the Warsaw Police Department, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, and Winona Lake Police Department responded.
The woman said she and another person stopped at a gas station in Pierceton. According to court documents, when they walked into the convenience store, they heard someone whistle at them. The woman and person got in their vehicle and began traveling west to Warsaw. Prior to leaving the gas station, they noticed two vehicles where the whistle came from were now gone.
They then noticed the two vehicles were following them after witnessing the vehicles do a U-turn. The woman drove quickly to get away from the two vehicles, but they kept pace with them, even though the woman was pushing 80 miles per hour in an attempt to get away.
When the woman pulled into the left turn lane to exit US 30 at Center Street in Warsaw, one of the vehicles passed them and “boxed them in.” The woman then called 911 and drove to the Warsaw Police Department.
Balke and Hanes were identified as the two vehicles’ drivers. Balke said he was at a gas station when he saw the woman and person, and whistled at them. Balke told Hanes he wanted to “troll around,” but claimed he didn’t have any intention to do anything sexual in nature to the woman and person.
He told police his plan was to follow them, honk at them, and then leave. Balke admitted they followed them from Pierceton all the way to Warsaw. Both Balke and Hanes were on the phone with each other during the incident, with Balke passing the woman’s vehicle at one point and “cutting her off.”
When Hanes said they should probably stop, Balke allegedly said he wanted to make contact with the woman and person to obtain their phone numbers. Balke told police he slowly drove to where the woman was parked and parked his vehicle. He said had officers not arrived, his plan was to walk up to the woman and person and knock on their window to attempt to get their numbers.
Hanes said he recognized the person and claimed he just wanted to say hello, so he followed them for seven minutes. He told police he and Balke followed them because they wanted to “mess around” with them, but then said he didn’t have a bad intent.
The woman and person both said they did not know Balke and Hanes. They expressed fear of being followed and intimidated by Balke and Hanes pursuing them at high rates of speed and cutting them off on the roadway.
Hanes and Balke have both already been arrested and released on bond.
