Argos man arrested after false vehicle theft report leads to traffic stop

A reported stolen vehicle turned out to be a false claim Friday afternoon, but the incident led to the arrest of a driver operating without a valid license on U.S. 31.

Theodore Wheatbrook, 44, South Michigan Street in Argos, was taken into custody following a traffic stop initiated after Marshall County Central Dispatch received a call about a possible vehicle theft at approximately 4:17 p.m. on February 20.

According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Department, a caller reported following what they believed to be a stolen vehicle. The caller informed dispatch that the vehicle had turned north onto U.S. 31 from 12B Road.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the report and located the vehicle. Officers from the Marshall County Sheriff's Department, assisted by the Plymouth Police Department and Indiana State Police, initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle.

The driver was identified as Theodore Wheatbrook. During the stop, officers determined that the theft claim was false — the vehicle had not been stolen.

However, officers discovered that Wheatbrook was operating the vehicle without a valid driver's license. Further investigation revealed he had a prior suspension within the past 10 years. Wheatbrook was transported to the Marshall County Jail, where he was booked on a charge of driving while suspended with a prior suspension within 10 years, as a class A misdemeanor.

He was held on a $500 cash bond and given a court date.

Wheatbrook is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.