September 3, 2024

A man and woman are in custody in connection with a rash of reported storage unit burglaries in Columbus and Bartholomew County. Throughout July and August, the Columbus Police Department (CPD) Intelligence Led Policing Unit (ILP) noticed an increase in reports of burglaries at storage units, specifically Storage Express locations. With a focus on reducing and preventing property crime, detectives from CPD and the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office were assigned to investigate the burglaries. Through the investigation, they identified Dustin Eakle, 29 of Columbus, as a potential suspect in the break-ins.

On August 29, 2024, investigators with ILP were watching Eakle and caught him in the act of burglarizing a storage unit at Storage Express, 170 15th Street. Stolen items were found inside of his vehicle, as well. Eakle was arrested for burglary, a level 5 felony.

Investigators then obtained a search warrant for Eakle’s personally owned storage unit and recovered more stolen property. Based on their investigation, detectives believe Eakle committed 8 different burglaries in Columbus and Bartholomew County.

As the case progressed, Madison Poynter, 30 of Noblesville, was implicated as Eakle’s girlfriend and accomplice to some of the burglaries. She was located and arrested for burglary, a level 5 felony, on August 30, 2024.

Both Eakle and Poynter remain in the Bartholomew County Jail on a hold.

CPD would like to highlight how working together with our multiple units and with the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office is the key to successfully reducing crime through a focus on repeat offenders.