Four have initial hearing today
CHURUBUSCO, Ind. – (June 19, 2009) There’s been a lot of good news across the country lately on the Churubusco’s Turtle Days Festival and the 60th anniversary of the hunt for a giant turtle – but yesterday the news wasn’t so good.
Four members of the Burton Bros. carnival staff – currently working at the Turtle Days Festival – were arrested in Fort Wayne Thursday morning at approximately 3 a.m. and charged with robbery, a Class B felony, and unlawful use of body armor, a misdemeanor.
Arrested was Benjamin Burton, 33, who is listed on the Burton Bros. Web site as co-owner of the amusement and concessions company, which is currently on site at the Turtle Days Festival in Churubusco.
Others arrested with Burton included Mark Wagner, 35, of The Villages, Fla., Triston Harris, 21, of Plymouth; and Jesse Hawkins, 22, of Whitesburg, Tenn.
According to police reports, the four men went to Fort Wayne after the carnival midway closed down at the Turtle Days Festival. In Fort Wayne, they reportedly met up with and got into a fight with three men who had earlier been operating a gaming concession at the Turtle Days Festival.
The men were kicked out of the midway by the Burton family Wednesday at around midnight, after allegations they bilked local patrons out of thousands of dollars, according to Churubusco’s Town Marshal Chad Fulkerson.
The fight happened near the Motel 6 on Coliseum Boulevard West, where the three game vendors were staying.
One man was hospitalized and two others were treated for knife wounds.
Police said they found body armor, knives, ammunition and guns – including an assault rifle – on Burton and in his vehicle.
Churubusco Town Marshal Chad Fulkerson said he knew there was trouble Wednesday night since local police had been asked by the Burton family to escort the game vendors out of the fairgrounds Wednesday night. Reportedly, the game vendors refused to pay the rental dues for the short time they were on the midway, but there were no incidents in Churubusco, Fulkerson said.
“I was unaware of the arrrests in Fort Wayne until I received a call from a reporter,” Fulkerson said.
Kirk Gray, president of the Turtle Days Festival, said the festival will not be affected. “These (alleged) incidents happened in Fort Wayne, not in Churubusco, and those four men are not working on the midway or grounds during the remainder of the festival,” Gray said. The festival runs through Saturday at 11 p.m.
“We’ve had Burton Bros. Amusements for the past 15 or 16 years and this is the first time we’ve ever had anything like this happen,” Gray said. The Turtle Days Festival has a 5-year contract with Burton Bros. which ends in 2010.
The four men were out on bond just hours after being arrested Thursday, and had an initial hearing in Allen County court today.
Fulkerson said the police are patrolling the midway and festival area 24-7. That area is located in the community park where there is a no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons policy that will be strictly enforced by all members of his staff, Fulkerson said. Anyone caught in violation of the policy will be thrown out of the park and/or arrested, he added.
Sounds like those who got kicked out had it coming, They came in and thought they could rob people and get away with it. The days of cheating and robbing the consumer is over on the carnival midway.
WTG Burton Bros. for trying to keep these type of people off your midway. Hopefully all charges will be dropped.
Are you for real? The Burton Brothers sound like regular alter boys or maybe their Robin Hoods. Rob from the rich and get dressed up in Body Armor, assault rifles grab your pick up truck full of your carnys and stab the poor. This all could have been avoided if this guy would have had a brain. I will not go to one of there events. PS Thats why I never stay at the Motel 6
All I can say is wow! The major carnival news site is sweeping this under the rug like nothing ever happened. I guess them reporting on this will result in them in losing thier free rides on the Zipper and Tilt-A-Whirl.
It is funny how things get distrouted in the press,,,the carnival co. will say anything to protect their image,,the truth is they knew what the vendors was doing,,,they had been set up for 4 weeks with them,,,,,,they(burtons) got the education they wanted then got greedy,,,when they didnt get the (double the rent) for 2 hours, they decided to go try and strong arm a reaL SHOWMAN.. didnt work. they deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest or let some good ole boys settle it…..
sorry it was 4 hours they were open…. and also why blame motel 6? get real, they didnt have any part of any of it, and motel 6 accepts pets.. I love motel 6 and try and patronize them as much as possible.. keep the lite on Tom !!!!!
Yeah heaven forbid they would lose their free ride tickets. This guy was armed like a soldier evidently and they just pretend it didnt happen or try to keep it quiet.
After investigation and finding out the truth, all charges are being dropped against all four Burton Brothers employees. You shouldn’t believe everything the media reports.
Some say all charges are dropped, any truth to that?
I hear that charges were dropped. Any truth to that?
“According to police reports, the four men went to Fort Wayne after the carnival midway closed down at the Turtle Days Festival. In Fort Wayne, they reportedly met up with and got into a fight with three men who had earlier been operating a gaming concession at the Turtle Days Festival.
The men were kicked out of the midway by the Burton family Wednesday at around midnight…
The fight happened near the Motel 6 on Coliseum Boulevard West, where the three game vendors were staying.”
Mennayar Wrote: WTG Burton Bros. for trying to keep these type of people off your midway.
[editors note: last sentence deleted due to violation of our comment rules]
That company had it coming to them. And on another carnival web site, they try and cover up the fact they were jailed on the charges, and sent to jail. Why do that i guess on Matts Carnival Warehouse They never posted this link and told a one sided story, about all charges was dropped, why be phony on that carnival warehouse site? I wonder why they never posted this piece. seems to me maybe Matts Editor had somthing behind it, and was told not to post the news about the Hazbin Burton Family about getting in too a shing dig at Motel 6. Matt needs to man up and post the facts like this story and not some he said/she said BS.
Oh get over it. This did not happen in Churubusco and the charges were dropped. My mother worked with the Burton Brothers on behalf of the Turtle committee for years. They are wonderful family oriented people. Haven’t we all done something that we regret. We are lucky to have Burton Brothers, they try to keep thngs clean and honest, unlike a lot of midway companies out there.
@Danielle,
You’re right, it (felony and misdemeanor) did not happen in ‘Busco, but the entire situation did start here.
And yes, I have regretted things in my life. But are you serious in thinking that robbing, beating and stabbing people is something you just “regret” like stealing a pack of bubble gum as a kid? At what point does an adult say to him/herself “Gee, what I am thinking about doing isn’t a very intelligent or mature idea.”
To:
‘ get real ‘
This is a quote from one of you sentences – “I will not go to one of there events.”
‘Their ” events, not there events. Do you expect ANYONE to accept the point of view from as ignorant a moron as you. A guy who cannot even spell a 3rd grade word ?
Forget the ‘ get real’ and try ‘Get Educated’