Crime & Safety
Jasper County, IN Robbery: Man Charged After Store Incident
Rensselaer, IN – A dispute over a debit card allegedly escalated into a robbery attempt at a Rensselaer business Sunday, leading to the arrest of an Indianapolis man on felony and misdemeanor charges.
By Jordan Mercer · 2026-09-30T15:59:30.839Z
Rensselaer, IN – A dispute over a debit card allegedly escalated into a robbery attempt at a Rensselaer business Sunday, leading to the arrest of an Indianapolis man on felony and misdemeanor charges.
According to the Rensselaer Police Department , officers responded to a 911 call Sunday reporting a robbery at a business in the 100 block of North Cullen Avenue in Rensselaer, located in Jasper County in northwest Indiana, southeast of the Chicago area.
Police said the caller reported that 43 year old Angel Belmori Nino Leiva of Indianapolis appeared upset over issues involving a debit card and became increasingly agitated.
According to police, Nino Leiva allegedly went behind the business counter, took a cash register and attempted to leave with it. Police said he allegedly claimed the store was attempting to steal from him and indicated that was his reason for taking the register.
As he was preparing to leave, Nino Leiva allegedly threw the cash register to the ground, damaging it, before fleeing in a white passenger vehicle, police said.
Investigators also recovered a knife from behind the counter that authorities believe Nino Leiva allegedly dropped during the incident.
A Jasper County deputy located the suspect vehicle shortly afterward near the intersection of U.S. 231 and State Road 110, according to police. Nino Leiva was taken into custody and transported to the Jasper County Jail.
Police said he faces a Level 5 felony robbery charge, a Level 6 felony theft charge and misdemeanor charges of vandalism and disorderly conduct.
The allegations are accusations, and Nino Leiva is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.