Burglary turns into inter-county pursuit

Around 8:15 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 16, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Brent Miller said dispatchers received a call from Jennifer Olander that a man had broken into her garage on East State Road 160 and stolen what appeared to be a black bag and placed it into a black Dodge truck. She said the man had tried to enter her home, but failed and left, driving toward South Boston in the truck. Then the man, later identified as Michael Bary, 40, Salem, returned to her home a few minutes later and backed up to her garage, as several Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies were responding to the call.

Just before 8:30 a.m., Miller arrived and saw the truck backed up to the garage with Bary in the driver’s seat. When Bary saw Miller, he tried to back out of the driveway, but Miller pulled his car forward to block him. Bary then drive around Miller, through a flower garden to get away, heading east on State Road 160. Miller pursued, calling in assistance from the Clark County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State Police. While in pursuit, Miller called in the truck’s license plate number, which was registered to Tammy Hill of E. Old State Road 160 in Salem. Miller said in his report he knew Hill and was familiar with the vehicle and that Bary was known to drive that truck.

As the pursuit continued, Miller said he saw Bary throw a couple items out the window of the truck, what appeared to be a partial straw, commonly used to introduce illegal substances intot he body, just east of Franklin School Road. Another object was thrown from the passenger side window. Miller called Deputy Brad Naugle to tell him of the location so he could pick them up.

Miller pursued Bary into Clark County. Bary was driving more than 75 miles per hour and was passing other vehicles to get away from Miller. An Indiana State Trooper and Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy were prepared however and had laid out stop sticks at State Road 160 and Speith Road. Bary hit the sticks and all four tires began a controlled deflation. This didn’t stop him, however, and he continued until all four tires were completely deflated. Bary locked up the brakes and smoked the tires as the vehicle came to a sharp stop. The driver exited the vehicle and Miller was then able to confirm it was indeed Bary driving.

Bary was taken to the Washington County Detention Center by Deputy Wayne Blevins and Miller and Deputy Paul Ginkins stayed to inventory the truck before the wrecker picked it up. While they were doing this, Sheriff Roger Newlon had gone to get statements from Olander and John Mahuron, who were home at the time of the burglary, and said a padlock had been cut off the garage and two small aire compressors had been taken. Miller found the air compressors and a pair of bolt cutters. Miller photographed and inventoried the items and brought them to the home they had been stolen from for confirmation.

Later, Miller went to speak with Bary.

Bary admitted to being at the home on E. State Road 160 and to taking at least one of the air compressors. He said he left the home and returned a few minutes later. He said he threw a cigarette lighter and cigarette pack out of the window of his truck, but would not admit to the piece of straw. He also admitted he was using methamphetamine and to being a suspended driver.

Naugle informed Miller he had found a partial straw containing a powdery residue (which later tested positive for methamphetamine) where Miller said he’d seen it thrown.

Bary was charged with burglary, theft, driving while suspended with a prior, obstruction of justice, resisting law enforcement and possession of methamphetamine.

This isn’t the first time Bary has been in trouble. In February, while officers went to serve a warrant for theft, resisting law enforcement and driving while suspended with a prior, officers found him and a woman, 21 weeks pregnant at the time, at a campsite on Seldom Seen Lake Road. They also found a bag of plant material (which later tested positive for marijuana), a clear crystal substance (later tested positive for methamphetamine) and a short straw used to snort drugs.

On Nov. 19, Miller submitted a probable cause affidavit outlining incidents that could also result in Bary being named an habitual felony offender, citing a burglary incident in Aug. 2004, a theft charge in Oct. 2016.