An early morning patrol led to the arrest of a man from Gary on four different charges, most of them drug-related. 

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Department says at approximately 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, a deputy noticed two vehicles parked in the parking lot of Christian Church of Wanatah. 

The deputy pulled into the lot to investigate when one of the cars left the scene. 

The deputy followed that vehicle and pulled over the maroon Cadillac Escalade driven by 23-year-old Kyle Burgess of Gary. 

According to officials, the smell of marijuana was coming from the vehicle. 

Upon a search of the vehicle, authorities uncovered a small amount of marijuana, two syringes, paraphernalia, and a small amount of crystal meth.

Burgess was allegedly driving without receiving a driver’s license as well. 

The county’s sheriff, John Boyd commented on the arrest. 

“Deputy Sinclair saw something that looked out of place and followed his well-trained instincts which quickly led to an arrest. While the amount of drugs seized in this instance was not large, the significance of the drugs that were present are often the same deadly combination we see with dealers and at the scenes of overdose cases. Deputy Sinclair’s observations and swift action made for positive results this morning and for that he is to be commended.”

Burgess was booked into the La Porte County Jail on charges of unlawful possession of a syringe, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, and operating a motor vehicle with never receiving a license. 

He is held on a $755 cash bond and will appear for court on Friday.