At approximately 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Officer Robert Johnson from the Indiana State Capitol Police was patrolling near the state capitol building when he recognized a woman believed to be the suspect in a Feb. 2 vandalism case in the Washington Street parking garage, which was previously reported in the pages of this newspaper.
Based on the photos, Officer Johnson had received, he believed the woman to be the suspect and approached her. During his encounter with her, Officer Johnson identified her as Denise Honorio, 34, Indianapolis, and developed probable cause to detain her. She was then transported to the Indiana State Police Post in Indianapolis for further investigation.
Indiana State Police Detectives interviewed Honorio and determined she was the same person in the photographs obtained from one of the damaged vehicles Feb. 2. They worked closely with the Marion County Prosecutor and because it was determined the dollar amount of the vandalism met the felony threshold, she was outright arrested based upon probable cause.
While taking an inventory of her belongings to transport her to jail, an Indiana Driver’s License was located in her pocket that belonged to someone else. State Police Detectives reached out to the owner of the driver’s license and learned she was the victim of a forcible robbery that took place around 4:10 p.m. on Feb. 2 while walking along Capital Avenue in Indianapolis. That incident was being investigated by the IU Police Department in Indianapolis. Working closely with IUPD, it was determined that ISP would handle the robbery investigation along with the vandalism. Detectives believe the victim was assaulted and injured by Honorio before stealing her purse.
“I would like to commend Officer Johnson for his actions yesterday and dedication to his patrol efforts,” Indiana State Police Captain Bob Burke said. “His alertness and recognition of this suspect not only helped find the person we believe responsible for the vandalism, but also to connect other serious crimes linked to this same suspect and bring justice to the victims. This investigation is just one example of incredible collaboration by several central Indiana police agencies and we are thankful for those partnerships.”
The Indiana State Police thanks the community for the countless tips received in this case, working directly with community members undoubtedly increases safety for everyone.
Honorio faces the preliminary charges of:
- Robbery – Level 3 Felony
- Battery with Moderate Injury – Level 6 Felony
- Vandalism over $50,000 – Level 6 Felony
This investigation is ongoing, the arrest was based upon probable cause of a crime. Actual charges will be determined by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
All suspects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.