The Michigan State Police Niles Post has reported that troopers are investigating a home invasion that occurred at approximately 11:20 a.m. Saturday in Milton Township, Cass County.

At that time, troopers report the home owner arrived at her home on East Bertrand Road. As she pulled in the driveway she reportedly noticed a white four-door sedan occupied by a lone, white female. The homeowner also noticed her bedroom window appeared to be open.

According to the Michigan State Police, the white sedan began to turn around in her yard, apparently to leave the residence as the homeowner tried to yell for the female suspect to stop. The homeowner then approached her residence and observed all of her family’s electronics piled up at the front of the door.

She then immediately returned to her car and followed the unknown female in the white sedan. At the same time, the homeowner reportedly dialed 911 and reached Cass County Dispatch.

Trooper John Moore intercepted the white vehicle, initiating a head-on traffic stop on Stateline Road, just east of South 11th Street.

The female suspect who occupied the vehicle was later identified as Jamie Goodwin of Goshen, Ind.

Prior to the 911 call, Det. Sgt. Fabian Suarez, who was in the area of the burglary, had reportedly seen the same white four-door sedan turning around in the intersection of Gumwood and East Bertrand Road.

At that time, the vehicle had been occupied by three subjects who allegedly headed west on East Bertrand Road toward the victim’s home, according to police.

Michigan State Police set up a perimeter, with two suspects still at large or at the scene of the home invasion.

Those two suspects, according to police, were arrested without incident a short distance from the home as they were observed walking west down East Bertrand Road near Batchelor Road.
They were later identified by police as Tood Jay Baker of South Bend and Richard Lee Coughenour Jr. of Peru Ind.

Police report Coughenour admitted his limited involvement in the crime and apparently implicated both Goodwin and Baker as being with him.

All three suspects were lodged at the Cass County Jail on charges of home invasion in the first degree and conspiracy to commit home invasion also in the first degree.

Bond was set at $50,000 for both Baker and Coughenour and $25,000 for Goodwin.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Berrien County Sheriff’s Department and St. Joseph County Ind., K-9 Unit assisted in this investigation.

The Michigan State Police advise local residents should remain aware of suspicious persons and/or vehicles during the daytime hours as well and report these subjects to local police agencies.