Plymouth man arrested for punching motorcyclist and running off scene – InkFreeNews.com
Staff report
Raymond J. Connolly
WARSAW — A Plymouth man was recently arrested after hitting a motorcyclist with a rental SUV and driving off the scene.
Raymond J. Connolly, 55, 2550 N. Michigan St. No. 112, Plymouth, is charged with leaving the scene of a personal accident, a felony 6 level; and criminal recklessness with a vehicle, a class B misdemeanor.
On May 20, a Warsaw police officer responded to a report of suspicious activity at the Dollar Tree store on Commerce Drive. An older man allegedly harassed a 14-year-old girl in the parking lot. Officers received descriptions of the man and the vehicle he was driving. Due to his behavior, the man was suspected of being intoxicated or having a mental disorder.
According to court documents, officers found the suspicious vehicle in Rural King’s parking lot. Officers attempted to locate the man in Rural King and surrounding stores, but were unable to find him at the time. Rural King employees reported that a man was not acting normal, walking in place and following employees into the store.
Employees then provided a photo of the man inside the store. The man fit the description of the person involved in the unrest at Dollar Tree.
Shortly after leaving Rural King, a Warsaw police officer responded to a motor vehicle accident resulting in injury on US 30 at SR 15. A motorcyclist said an SUV had intentionally changed lanes, hitting his motorbike. A witness described the driver of the SUV; the description matched those of the man from the Rural King and Dollar Tree incidents.
The motorcyclist suffered extensive cuts and abrasions over much of his body, including his back, shoulders, hips and hands. In addition to the abrasions, the motorcyclist suffered bruises to his hips, shoulders and knees, causing severe pain. He was taken to a hospital in Fort Wayne for further treatment.
The SUV driver continued to travel west on US 30, without stopping or contacting law enforcement about the crash.
The SUV’s registration was returned to Enterprise Rent-A-Car, who advised that the vehicle had been leased from Connolly. A file photo of the rental was matched against Rural King’s security evidence, positively identifying the man as Connolly.
Officers later tracked the SUV to the Red Rock Inn in Plymouth. The vehicle had visible damage that was consistent with the motorcycle accident on US 30. Law enforcement learned the vehicle was parked near a room Connolly rented, but Connolly could not be located at that time.
For that case, Connolly was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on June 10, with $10,250 bail and cash bail.
