Virginia man charged with stealing vehicle from Hobart man found dead near Porter County fishing area

Jawon Martin, also known as Jada Monroe, 28, of Danville, Va., was taken into custody in Hamilton County, Ohio, for stealing a vehicle belonging to Derek William Hartz, 35, of Hobart, and his mother. Police located two Virginia identification cards at the scene. Jada Monroe is “unknown to be another victim, suspect or missing person,” according to court documents. 

Law enforcement used technology to identify the stolen vehicle and determined that it traveled from Lake County to Porter County, north into Michigan, south back into Indiana and east toward Ohio. Hartz’s cellphone was pinged and found discarded on a road in Lake County. Authorities pinged Martin’s phone and determined that the vehicle was heading toward Cincinnati on Interstate 75. 

Police located the vehicle and began a pursuit. Martin ultimately crashed and fled on foot until police caught up, according to court documents. 

Martin is being detained at the Hamilton County Jail, according to online records. Detectives apprehended Martin’s passenger, Domonic Weaver, 27, of Gary, who also uses Barnes and Brothers as a last name. He has warrants from Porter County and Virginia, according to court records. 

Investigators found Hartz around 11 a.m. Tuesday on a small trail on the edge of the Chustak Salt Creek public access site on a deflated air mattress, according to court documents. He had “excessive bleeding” from his skull and was nude from the waist down. The Porter County Coroner’s Office ruled Hartz’s death a homicide from blunt-force trauma to the head.

Court records say Hartz’s mother told detectives he had taken their shared car after 4:30 a.m. Tuesday and left her a note that he was going to see a friend. She tried to contact him to return the car after he was deceased and continued to receive texts back.