In the pre-dawn hours of a December morning in Portage, Indiana, 35-year-old Alexius Tapia was fatally shot after confronting a group attempting to burglarize vehicles in his driveway in the 6000 block of Mill Run Avenue. Tapia went outside armed to intervene; his two young sons witnessed the encounter. He wrestled one suspect, 18-year-old Thomas Reichler, to the ground and was escorting Reichler toward his home to call police when Reichler produced a handgun and fired, striking Tapia in the chest. Tapia returned fire, wounding Reichler in both arms, then collapsed and later died at a local hospital.

The suspect’s handgun had been reported stolen. Three suspects were arrested within hours, including Reichler, Korey Izynski and Nathaniel Sipe. A jury later convicted Reichler of murder and sentenced him to 62 years; the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the conviction on appeal.

Did anyone in the Portage area see activity on Mill Run Avenue that morning or have information about the group involved?