Crime
Father and Son Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide in Roanoke
ROANOKE, Ind. — Two men are dead following a shooting Thursday night in what authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide at a home in Roanoke’s Crestwood Addition.
According to the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call was received shortly after 9 p.m. on May 1, reporting a shooting inside a residence on Allen Street.
When deputies arrived, they discovered two adult male victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical personnel rendered immediate aid on the scene, and both victims were transported in serious condition to a hospital in Fort Wayne.
Despite life-saving efforts, both were pronounced deceased shortly after arrival.
A neighbor later confirmed to investigators that the shooting involved a father and son, stating that the son fatally shot his father before turning the gun on himself.
Officials have not yet publicly released the identities of the deceased, pending autopsies and notification of next of kin by the Huntington County Coroner’s Office.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office issued a public statement via social media indicating there was no ongoing threat to the community.
Authorities advised residents to avoid the Crestwood neighborhood as investigators processed the scene.
The investigation is being led by the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Huntington Police Department, Indiana State Police Crime Scene Investigators, and the Huntington County Coroner’s Office.
Additional support was provided at the scene by the Roanoke Police Department, Roanoke Fire Department, Parkview Huntington Hospital EMS, and Huntington Central Dispatch.
The case remains under investigation, and further details will be released once autopsy results are complete and family members have been formally notified.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.