More information has been provided by the highway patrol regarding the arrest of 44-year-old Steven Periman of Altamont who was taken into custody in DeKalb County on Thursday.
A probable cause statement from the Patrol says that the passenger on Periman’s motorcycle, 36-year-old Jessica Huskey, told a trooper that 42-year-old Joshua Verhagen of Jamesport had been following them but passed them at a high rate of speed. The report states that after Verhagen’s motorcycle hit a deer and crashed on Route EE near Patton Road, Huskey stayed with Verhagen while Periman left the scene.
Periman reportedly returned a short time later followed by a white Ford truck occupied by two men. Huskey reported Periman and the two men hooked a chain to Verhagen’s motorcycle, dragged it out of a ditch, loaded it into the truck, and left the scene. The Patrol’s crash report from Verhagen’s accident noted Verhagen’s motorcycle had been removed prior to an officer’s arrival and was not located. Periman later returned to the scene of the accident in a Chevrolet truck and denied any knowledge of the motorcycle being removed.
The Patrol arrested Periman who was transported to the Daviess-DeKalb County Regional Jail. Online court information reports Periman was charged in DeKalb County with the felonies of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution and operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license—third and subsequent offense.
A request for bond modification was denied at an arraignment Friday morning with his bond remaining at $40,000 with special conditions.
A preliminary hearing for Periman is scheduled for Tuesday, June 5th.
