A Gary man is facing multiple burglary charges after allegedly breaking down an apartment door to rob the residents.
Harold Eugene Ballard, Jr., 46, is charged with Burglary with a Deadly Weapon, a Level 2 Felony; burglary of a dwelling, a level 4 felony; unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a level 4 felony; and misdemeanor resisting law enforcement.
On Nov. 17 around 2 p.m., the victim said he and a friend were in his apartment when they heard a knock on the upstairs apartment door, according to the probable cause statement. Then they heard breaking glass and footsteps upstairs. They heard two subjects talking and one of them said, “That’s the safe she was talking about, that’s the safe it’s in,” the documents state. Moments later, the subjects walked to the man’s apartment. They started kicking in the door, so he and his friend went into the bathroom to hide, court records show. He called 911 at that point.
After the subjects left and the man came out of the bathroom, he noticed his front door being forced open by knocking it completely off its hinges, the affidavit said. His PlayStation, headset and cash were also missing from his apartment. He told police the door was locked and no one had been allowed to enter, the documents state.
When police responded to the 911 call, they saw a man leaving the residence on the west side of the building and heading towards the alley. Police gave loud commands for the man to stop, but he continued to flee and dropped things as he ran, court records show. Officers eventually arrested the man, whose driver’s license identified him as Harold Eugene Ballard Jr.. Police found a variety of items he had dropped, including the PlayStation and a fully loaded black FNK. 40-caliber firearm, the affidavit said. A second man was also seen leaving the building but has not been arrested. Ballard’s black 2018 Ford Taurus was also located near the home, but had a false license plate number, records state.
In February 1996, Ballard and another man were charged with attempted murder and armed robbery after they were involved in a shootout with federal agents trying to negotiate a drug and gun sale at the McDonalds on 5th Avenue in Gary. He was convicted of the charges and served time at the Westville Correctional Facility until July 2011, when he was released to Community Corrections to serve his probation.
Post-Tribune archives contributed.
