A 45-year-old Starke woman was sentenced to 30 months with the Department of Corrections after pleading to battery on a person over 65 and grand theft auto.
Katie Michelle Chapman was also sentenced to three years’ probation during which she must complete a program at a Marion County substance abuse residential treatment facility.
According to an August 15, 2025, arrest warrant affidavit, the 71-year-old female victim allowed Chapman to stay with her following the defendant’s release from a detoxification program.
“Katie moved in with (the victim) for approximately three weeks,” wrote Deputy Cody Wells in the affidavit. “Katie was having withdrawal symptoms for the last few days and was bed-bound.”
Wells added that after the homeowner refused Chapman’s request to help her obtain drugs and her phone, “Katie became irate and got into (the victim’s) face, yelling and demanding (the victim’s) keys.”
The two women then struggled over the victim’s phone and car keys. Chapman threw the 71-year-old’s phone under a chair, and when the victim tried to retrieve the device, Chapman snatched her keys from her purse, fled outside, and locked herself in the victim’s 2016 Chevrolet Suburban.
As Chapman drove away, the victim twisted her knee while running along the vehicle, attempting to open the locked door.
Chapman’s prior convictions include possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended or revoked license, no valid license, and DUI.
