BY JOHN R. REED LEADER EDITOR
WINAMAC — Four teens charged with a series of burglaries in Starke County are now suspects in several Pulaski County burglaries.
Sheriff Michael Gayer said that, with the assistance of Starke County Detective Ron Lawson, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department has been able to solve burglaries and thefts at two Monterey businesses, Sportsman's Bar and a break-in at another nearby business where the burglars attempted to steal money from an ATM machine.

Allegedly, the same suspects committed break-ins at Cars for Less near the Starke-Pulaski county line on U.S. 35, and at Cooter's Bar and Restaurant in Star City.
A total of five counts of burglary and theft are pending in Pulaski County, and both police departments say investigations of several other individuals and related thefts, possibly involving the same juveniles, are ongoing.
Lawson said not all the suspects were involved in every Pulaski County incident.
In Starke County, the four teens face a possible 15 counts of burglary, as follows:
• Kenny Flores, 17, seven counts of burglary.
• Blake McCan, 17,  three counts of burglary
• Dominic White, 15, three counts of burglary
• Ethan Coad, 16, One count burglary, one count attempted burglary.
All four are students at Knox High School. Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall placed all on home detention and electronic tethers, which allow them to attend classes.
The four are suspects in two burglaries at Fletcher’s Carpet Warehouse in Toto; four burglaries at the Sand Bar Tavern in Bass Lake; and burglaries at the Bass Lake Pub & Ristorante and Dooley’s Bar in San Pierre.
Taken during the burglaries were wide screen TVs, musical instruments, liquor, cash, cameras and even safes.
The boys were arrested in late September and held at the state juvenile detention center in Muncie until a status hearing on Oct. 6.
Police indicated investigations are continuing in Starke, Pulaski, Fulton and Marshall counties.
Hall set an Oct. 31 deadline for the state — represented by Starke County Deputy Prosecutor Scott Duerring - to file a waiver if the teens are to be tried in adult court.
If tried as juveniles, the teens would have “fact finding” hearings, not trials. There, Hall set fact finding dates as follows: Flores, Nov. 17, McCan, Nov. 19; White, Nov. 20; Coad, Nov. 21. Hall said each of those sessions would go on all day, “as long as it takes.” In a fact finding hearing, there is no jury. Arguments are heard by the judge.