NORTH VERNON

A North Vernon woman and some of her neighbors recently helped police catch a Bartholomew County man accused of breaking into a trailer at Country Squire Lakes.

Brian L. Bay, 43, of Columbus, faces preliminary charges of burglary, a Class B felony; residential entry, Class D felony; possession of a syringe, Class D felony; and possession of a legend drug, a Class D felony, according to a news release from the Indiana State Police Post at Versailles.

Bay was arrested after police received a call at 12:55 p.m. Friday about a man trespassing in the 300 block of Honey Locust Drive in Country Squire Lakes, Trooper Randel Miller said in his report.

The caller reported there was “a strange vehicle” parked in her neighbor’s driveway, Miller said. The caller also said doors to the trailer were open and a man was inside the trailer rummaging through drawers.

The caller said that when the man was confronted

he claimed the trailer belonged to his mother, who had just passed away, Miller said, but the caller knew that information was false and called police.

At that point, the man

attempted to leave the

scene, but his vehicle, a 1999 Buick, had been blocked in by other neighbors.

Miller said he and Jennings County Officer Wes Thayer arrived on scene just as the man, later identified as Bay, tried to drive away.

Police, however, stopped

his car.

Miller said he then led his K-9 partner, Jinx, on a walk around the vehicle. The dog alerted to the possible presence of drugs in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of three syringes, a bottle of pills and stolen gasoline, police said.

When the trailer’s residents arrived on scene, the

name on the prescription pill bottle was that of one of them. He also identified the gas can as having been stolen from his property.

Bay was taken to Jennings County Jail where he was held on $4,055 bond.

Jennings County Officer Kevin Hall assisted in

the investigation.