ELKHART, Ind. - On Jan. 14 around 10:59 p.m., officers responded to a call to the 100 block of Chapman Avenue in Elkhart after someone witnessed a hit-and-run.

When officers arrived, they found several people outside assessing damage to two separate vehicles, a fence, and several trashcans. A witness informed officers that they observed a black car had gone off the road and hit several trash cans on the south side of the road. The car then swerved and drove into a parked Saturn Vue on the north side of the road. They then attempted to back up and back into a parked Chevy Malibu that was also parked on the north side of the road before driving east and turning north onto Prairie Street.

Officers quickly located the vehicle parked on Park Avenue near the intersection of Prairie Street. Police found a black Chevy Sonic with heavy damage and a trashcan lodged under the front end.

As officers were detaining who they thought was the driver of the vehicle, a male matching the witness description, later identified as Ulises Rodriguez, opened the back door to a nearby home. Officers say he was visibly intoxicated and slurring his words. When officers advised Rodriguez that they believed he was the driver and that they would be detaining him, he became very angry.

The report states as officers placed Rodriguez in handcuffs, he attempted to fight, lunging away from them and faceplanting in the snow as they tried to lead him towards the patrol car. Rodriguez continued to fight with officers, he stiffened his body and refused to get into car after several lawful orders, officers had to pull Rodriguez from behind to pull him into the vehicle. 

Officers say they had observed several open beer containers inside the Sonic. Rodriguez refused to submit a breath test and was taken to Elkhart General Hospital to be medically cleared due to his level of intoxication. While at EGH, Rodriguez continued to act belligerent, causing medical staff to ask him to quiet down so that he could be medically treated. At one point, officers were asked to remove Rodriguez's cuffs so that he may be medically treated, where he then slapped the officer in the face.

It was later discovered that Roriguez had two outstanding warrants, one through Elkhart County Sheriff's Department for OWI and the other through Berrien County Michigan for False Information.

Rodriguez was charged with the following:

• Leaving the Scene of Accident
• Resisting Law Enforcement
• Battery - Against Police Officer
• Disorderly Conduct