Jeffrey Raymond Crider, 20, of DeMotte, has been charged and arrested after investigators say security footage captured him breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s Hebron apartment, cutting out a window screen, entering the residence, and leaving with her pet cat.
According to the probable cause affidavit, police were dispatched around 11:45 AM on October 22, 2025, to the 200 block of Pratt Street in Hebron for a prior disturbance and possible break-in. Investigators reviewed security footage that reportedly showed Crider lurking around his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle and apartment before moving toward a window.
Police say the footage shows Crider cutting and tearing the window screen, opening the window, and leaning into the apartment, where he removed the pet cat. He then carried the cat to his vehicle and left. Court documents note this was the second incident in two days involving the same cat; in the earlier incident, he returned it after police were contacted.
Crider was booked into the Porter County Jail on December 3, 2025.
Charges filed October 29, 2025:
• Burglary of a Dwelling — Level 4 Felony
• Criminal Mischief — Class B Misdemeanor