Joshua Arthur Snyder, 35, of Elkhart, has been charged in Porter County after police say DNA evidence linked him to the theft of two utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) from Valpo Motors Honda in Valparaiso.

According to court documents, Porter County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded around 7:04 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2025, to the Graceland Cemetery after employees from Valpo Motors Honda, located in the 1000 block of Morthland Drive, reported that suspects had stolen two UTVs and were being chased through the cemetery. Officers were unable to locate the stolen vehicles, but investigators recovered a black hat along the suspects’ path and a tool bag left on a damaged UTV at the dealership.

Police said surveillance video and audio captured multiple suspects arriving at the dealership before stealing the two UTVs. After the theft, the dealership owner made a public appeal for information. Investigators later received information identifying one of the alleged participants and learned Joshua Snyder had also been arrested in a separate UTV theft investigation in Kosciusko County.

According to the affidavit, Indiana State Police forensic testing determined DNA recovered from the black hat matched Snyder. Investigators later obtained a court-authorized DNA sample from Snyder, and a subsequent laboratory analysis concluded the DNA profile was at least one trillion times more likely to have originated from Snyder than from an unrelated individual, according to court records.

Court documents allege Snyder was one of the suspects responsible for stealing the UTVs and damaging additional vehicles at the dealership. Police estimated the two stolen UTVs had a combined value of $47,920, while damage to vehicles left behind totaled approximately $5,500.

Lodged in the Porter County Jail on July 23, 2026.

Charges filed April 28, 2026:

Auto Theft (Prior Auto Theft Conviction) — Level 5 Felony

Criminal Mischief — Class A Misdemeanor