Wanted woman found sleeping in stolen car in NW Indiana

A wanted South Dakota woman is behind bars after being found sleeping in the back of a stolen car early Friday behind an abandoned gas station in northwest Indiana.

Just after 1 a.m. Friday, a Lake County sheriff’s deputy saw the vehicle parked behind the former gas station near State Road 2 and I-65 near Hebron, Indiana, according to the sheriff’s office.

The deputies saw a woman lying in the back seat of the car sleeping, and smelled “a strong odor of alcohol,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said.

She was identified as 51-year-old Marguerite M. Engle, who had addresses in Pierre, South Dakota, and New Whiteland, Indiana. The car, a 2003 Chevrolet Impala, had been reported stolen in Minnesota, police said.

After being arrested, Engle admitted the car was stolen, and also said she had stolen a gun the previous day from a home near the abandoned gas station, police said, A search of the car turned up a .45 caliber Springfield Armory handgun with one magazine and five rounds of ammunition.

Police also found several bottles of alcoholic beverages in the car, and when they ran a check, they found Engle was wanted on a parole violation of probation in South Dakota.

She was being charged with auto theft, burglary, and the outstanding warrant, and was being held in the Lake County Jail as of late Friday afternoon.