Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Charging Documents in Shooting Death of Alexius Tapia
Charging Documents in Shooting Death of Alexius Tapia
County of Porter
)
) SS:
)
State of Indiana
v.
NATHANIEL T. SIPE
667 E. US HIGHWAY 6
WESTVILLE, IN
DOB: 07/05/1995
SSN: REDACTED [#1]
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
INFORMATION
COUNT I
[ATTEMPTED THEFT FELONY Level 6]
I.C. 35-43-4-2; I.C. 31-41-5-1
Detective T.W. Uzelac, swears under the penalties of perjury as specified in I.C.
35-44-2-1 that the following representation is true: That NATHANIEL T. SIPE did on or
about the 12TH day of December, 2014, in the county of Porter, State of Indiana engage in
conduct constituting a substantial step towards the knowing or intentional exertion over
the property of Alex Tapia with the intent to deprive him of the value or use of his
property contrary to statute and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana.
__________________________________
T.W. Uzelac
__________________________________
BRIAN T. GENSEL
Prosecuting Attorney
State of Indiana
County of Porter
)
) SS:
)
State of Indiana
v.
KOREY B. IZYNSKI
2335 GREENTREE LN.
CLARKSVILLE, IN
DOB: 02/21/1995
SSN: REDACTED [#1]
INFORMATION
COUNT I
[ATTEMPTED THEFT FELONY Level 6]
I.C. 35-43-4-2; I.C. 31-41-5-1
Detective T.W. Uzelac, swears under the penalties of perjury as specified in I.C. 35-44-21 that the following representation is true: That KOREY B. IZYNSKI did on or about the
12TH day of December, 2014, in the county of Porter, State of Indiana engage in conduct
constituting a substantial step towards the knowing or intentional exertion of
unauthorized control over the property of Alex Tapia with the intent to deprive him of the
value or use of his property contrary to statute and against the peace and dignity of the
State of Indiana.
COUNT II
[THEFT FELONY Level 6]
I.C. 35-43-4-2
Detective T.W. Uzelac, swears under the penalties of perjury as specified in I.C.
35-44-2-1 that the following representation is true: That KOREY B. IZYNSKI did on or
about the 9TH day of December, 2014, in the county of Porter, State of Indiana knowingly
or intentionally exert unauthorized control the property of Joshua Hood, to wit: a Ruger
9mm pistol with the intent to deprive him of the value or use of his property contrary to
statute and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana.
COUNT III
[THEFT/POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY FELONY Level 6]
I.C. 35-43-4-2
Detective T.W. Uzelac, swears under the penalties of perjury as specified in I.C.
35-44-2-1 that the following representation is true: That KOREY B. IZYNSKI did on or
about the 12TH day of December, 2014, in the county of Porter, State of Indiana
knowingly or intentionally possess a FN HERSTAL pistol belonging to Shannon
Stooksbury with said possession being unauthorized and with the intent to deprive the
owner of the value or use of the property, contrary to statute and against the peace and
dignity of the State of Indiana.
__________________________________
T.W. Uzelac
__________________________________
BRIAN T. GENSEL
Prosecuting Attorney
State of Indiana
County of Porter
State of Indiana
v.
Thomas E. Reichler
)
) SS:
)
I, T.W. UZELAC , being first duly sworn upon my oath, depose and say as
follows:
I am a Detective with the Portage Police Department, and have held such position
through the course of this investigation.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. according to Krystal Tapia of 6090 Mill Run in
Portage, her husband Alex Tapia heard his dog bark and observed and confronted 3 white
male subjects breaking into a car located in his driveway. Two of the subjects, Nathaniel
T. Sipe and Korey B. Izynski fled on foot. Tapia yelled freeze was able to confront the
3rd subject, Thomas E. Reichler who was inside the car when approached. During the
confrontation, Tapia was able to gain control of Reichler. Tapia then led Reichler to his
porch pending contacting the police.
Before they got to the porch, a scuffle ensued and Reichler fired a shot which hit
Tapia in the torso. Tapia then fired at least twice in response and hit Reichler in each arm.
Tapia died as a result of his injuries. Reichler then fled the area and was transported by
Nathaniel Sipe to St. Anthonys Hospital in Michigan City.
Statements were taken from all three subjects. They all confirmed that they were
stealing from cars that evening and were attempting to steal from Alex Tapias car,
although they did not know his identity. When Tapia confronted them, Sipe and Izynsky
fled, but Reichler did not get away. Reichler explained that Tapia hit him in the head as
he was pulling him out of the car. Reichler did not know what Tapia hit him with. Tapia
then pulled him up to his feet, guiding him to the front of the house. At that time,
Reichler grabbed from his jacket pocket a Ruger 9mm handgun he and the other two stole
from a car belonging to Joshua Hood on December 9th in Chesterton. Reichler then fired
the shot that hit Tapia in the torso.
In response, Tapia fired at least two shots, hitting Reichler above his left wrist and
in his right arm. Reichler said that he dropped the 9mm handgun and fled, ultimately
getting in Izynskys car which was down the block from Tapias house. The two waited
in the car until emergency personnel treating Tapia left and then they went to St.
Anthonys Hospital in Michigan City where Reichler was treated for his injuries.
Besides the theft of the Ruger 9mm from the car of Joshua Hood, the three
subjects also admitted to stealing a FN Herstal handgun from a vehicle determined to
belong to Shannon Stooksbury in Chesterton approximately 2 hours before the Tapia
shooting. That gun was recovered from Korey Izynsky. Reichler initially stole the gun,
but traded it to Izynski for the Ruger which Izynski stole on December 9th. Prior to the
shooting, the three admitted to breaking into approximately 15 cars in Portage.
I was able to verify that the handguns were stolen in Chesterton and were the
subject of theft investigations. Alex Tapia maintained video security of his premises, and
Portage Detective Janis Regnier watched the video footage and it corroborated the story
told by Thomas Reichler.
I believe that Krystal Tapia is credible and reliable because she advised me of
matters within her own personal knowledge and because the information she provided
was confirmed and corroborated by other evidence in this case. I believe the information
provided by Nathaniel Sipe, Korey Izynsky and Thomas Reichler is in part credible and
reliable because they spoke against their penal interests and because the information they
provided was confirmed and corroborated by other evidence in this case.
By reason of the above, I have cause to request the issuance of the following
arrest warrants:
Thomas Reichler: Murder, a Felony; Attempted Theft, Level 6 Felony; Theft/Possession
Stolen Property, Level 6 Felony
T.W. Uzelac
day of
State of Indiana
County of Porter
)
) SS:
)
State of Indiana
v.
THMOAS E. REICHLER
405 STRONGBOW TRL
CHESTERTON, IN
DOB: 11/18/1996
SSN: REDACTED [#1]
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
INFORMATION
COUNT I
[MURDER, A FELONY ]
I.C. 35-42-1-1
Detective T.W. Uzelac, swears under the penalties of perjury as specified in I.C. 35-44-21 that the following representation is true: That THOMAS E. REICHLER did on or about
the 12TH day of December, 2014, in the county of Porter, State of Indiana knowingly or
intentionally kill Alex Tapia, contrary to statute and against the peace and dignity of the
State of Indiana.
COUNT II
[ATTEMPTED THEFT FELONY Level 6]
I.C. 35-43-4-2; I.C. 31-41-5-1
Detective T.W. Uzelac, swears under the penalties of perjury as specified in I.C. 35-44-21 that the following representation is true: That THOMAS E. REICHLER did on or about
the 9th day of December, 2014, in the county of Porter, State of Indiana engage in
conduct constituting a substantial step towards the knowing or intentional exertion of
unauthorized control over the property of Alex Tapia with the intent to deprive him of the
value or use of his property contrary to statute and against the peace and dignity of the
State of Indiana.
COUNT III
[THEFT/POSSESSION STOLEN PROPERTY FELONY Level 6]
I.C. 35-43-4-2
Detective T.W. Uzelac, swears under the penalties of perjury as specified in I.C. 35-44-21 that the following representation is true: That KOREY B. IZYNSKI did on or about the
12TH day of December, 2014, in the county of Porter, State of Indiana knowingly or
intentionally possess a Ruger 9mm pistol belonging to Joshua Hood with said possession
being unauthorized and with the intent to deprive the owner of the value or use of the
property, contrary to statute and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana.
__________________________________
T.W. Uzelac
__________________________________
BRIAN T. GENSEL
Prosecuting Attorney