I-70 gas mishap fuels arrest

By DAVID CLUCAS
Banner-Graphic Staff Writer
CLOVERDALE -- Running out of gas on Interstate 70 ended up being the least of Brian Michael Baker's problems on Friday afternoon.

The 23-year-old Terre Haute man now sits in Putnam County Jail.

Baker is being held without bond after fleeing police and evading three warrants for his arrest in Vigo and Clay counties. The warrants allegedly deal with failing to pay child support.

Ironically, for Baker's misfortune, he brought the police right to him, as Cloverdale Police Chief Investigator Pat McFadden retold the Friday events to the Banner-Graphic.

After running out of gas on I-70 west of Cloverdale, Baker and another man walked to a Cloverdale gas station and brought fuel back to their car, McFadden said. As the men filled the car, some gas reportedly sprayed around the engine. When they started the vehicle, the spilled gas sparked a small fire.

The fire didn't last long, but it caught the eye of a passerby with a cell phone. The observer called police and told them that two men had started a car fire. Cloverdale Police and Putnam County officers responded to the scene, but did not know about Baker and his out-of-county warrants -- as far as they knew, this was a suspicious car fire.

But Baker called all the police attention to himself. When he heard and saw the police, he ran into the woods, McFadden said. A search through the woods assisted by canines led police back to Cloverdale where an officer eventually spotted and arrested Baker at the truck stop.

At 3 p.m., the two-hour ordeal ended and police booked Baker into Putnam County Jail. Because of his out-of-county warrants, Baker is being held without bond.