Defendant avoided talking to police after sons killed in house fire
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LAFAYETTE, Ind. Brandon Abbott pulled out his IV and bolted from IU Health Arnett Hospital Emergency Room when he learned his twin sons died in a fire at his house on April 5, 2014, according to testimony on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the question before jurors was whether Abbott was distraught over his children s deaths, causing him to leave the hospital so hastily, or whether he was trying to avoid police because of drugs and possible neglect in the boys deaths.
Tippecanoe County sheriff s Lt. Travis Dowell testified most of the morning and into the afternoon about Facebook messages Abbott sent to friends in which he described running or hiding from police, as well as messages that indicated Abbott was dealing marijuana and ecstasy, an illegal stimulant.
The Spalls are among 19 victims from Sunday s predawn outbreak of vandalism on the south side.
Deputies have a suspect in the trio caught on home surveillance cameras vandalizing houses early Sunday.
As of noon Monday, however, no one had been arrested for the crimes.
All total, 15 homes in the county and four in Lafayette were damaged when bricks, landscape rocks and lawn ornaments and at least one bird bath were thrown at houses and through windows, according to police bulletins.
The Spalls house was damaged when the vandals threw a rock through a window and smashed a lawn ornament into the front door.