Indiana man charged in connection with vehicle reported stolen Nov. 4 in Ottawa

A Plainfield, Indiana, man was charged in connection with a stolen vehicle Nov. 4 in Ottawa, according to a news release Tuesday from the Ottawa Police Department.

Police received a report Nov. 4 from Sierra Motors on Norris Drive of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was described as a maroon 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat parked on the lot and for sale. When police arrived, it appeared as though the suspect(s) had broken out a window in order to gain access to the vehicle.

After a lengthy investigation, detectives were able to track the stolen vehicle and suspect to Plainfield, Indiana, police said. On Feb. 29, Ottawa detectives, with assistance from the Plainfield, Indiana Police Department, executed a search warrant and were able to recover the Dodge Challenger containing a majority of the original parts from the stolen Dodge Challenger that had been stripped off and transferred to the chassis of a second Dodge Challenger, police said. The frame of the stolen Dodge Challenger was recovered at another location, police said.

As a result of the investigation, Nicholas C. Harmon, 21, of Plainfield, Indiana, was charged in La Salle County with one count of theft more than $10,000, a class 2 felony, and one count of unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle, a class 2 felony. Harmon was issued a summons to appear in court by the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Ottawa police were assisted in the investigation by the Plainfield Indiana Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office.