Crime & Safety
La Porte County, IN Man Arrested on Child Molesting Charges
A front-view, low-angle shot of a dark police cruiser at night, enveloped in thick smoke or fog. The car's emergency lights are flashing intense red and blue, casting vibrant reflections onto the wet pavement. The vehicle is equipped with a heavy-duty push bumper on the front.
Photo: Country Herald
La Porte County, IN – A 40-year-old man is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond after an investigation led to two child molesting charges in La Porte County, authorities announced Friday.
According to the La Porte County Sheriff's Office, Matthew R. Lukac was arrested Thursday morning at a residence in South Bend by deputies assigned to the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.
The investigation began Aug. 31 after the sheriff's office received a report from the Indiana Department of Child Services concerning alleged child abuse and/or neglect. Authorities said the report identified Lukac as the accused and a prepubescent child as the alleged victim.
Detective Derrick Deck was assigned to investigate and learned Lukac was already wanted by the sheriff's office on separate charges of domestic battery and intimidation, both Level 6 felonies, according to authorities.
Investigators continued gathering information and conducting interviews over the following weeks. The findings were eventually forwarded to the La Porte County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review.
Authorities said probable cause was established in La Porte County Circuit Court, and an arrest warrant was issued accusing Lukac of two counts of child molesting. One count is filed as a Level 1 felony and the other as a Level 4 felony.
Following his arrest in South Bend, Lukac was transported to the La Porte County Jail, where the sheriff's office said he remained in custody on the $100,000 cash-only bond.
The charges are allegations. Lukac is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Related coverage
Traffic
1. Lake County, IN Traffic: I-65 Closed After Pedestrian Fatality Early Saturday
Traffic
Indiana Traffic: I-80 Chase Tops 100 MPH, Ends on I-94
Science
Indiana Nuclear Oversight Shift Puts 213 Licenses in State Hands
Weather
Fort Wayne Rain Chance Hits 40% as Cool Air Holds
News
Purdue and University of Illinois, 2 engineering powerhouses, team up to strengthen semiconductor workforce in U.S.
News
Academic Success Building reaches construction milestone with topping-out ceremony
Traffic
Clark County, IN Traffic: I-65 Closing Briefly Tonight
Crime & Safety