Portage- On May 24, 2022, members of the Indiana State Police Cyber Crimes Unit and the Lowell Post All Crimes Policing Team (ACP) served a search warrant in the 2400 block of Monnier Street in Portage. As a result, Patrick J. O. Alaniz, 24, from Portage was arrested. This arrest was the result of an extensive investigation conducted by detectives from the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The investigation began after a cyber tip was received in September 2021 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding activities on a cloud based digital storage account associated with Mr. Alaniz.
Mr. Alaniz was transported to the Porter County Jail where he will remain until an initial hearing. He has been charged with three (3) level 5 felonies and three (3) level 6 felonies related to the Possession of Child Pornography.
All suspects are presumed innocent until/unless proven guilty in court.