Douglas Walker

dwalker@muncie.gannett.com

YORKTOWN – A candidate for Yorktown Town Council was arrested on Election Day at a polling site, accused of earlier stealing other candidates' signs and leaving the scene of a traffic accident during a confrontation with his accusers.

Richard E. Yencer Jr., 60, 3100 N. Delaware County Road 500-W, was preliminarily charged with theft and leaving the scene of accident.

Arrested while greeting voters at Yorktown High School early Tuesday afternoon, Yencer was later released from the Delaware County jail after posting a $5,000 bond.

According to a probable cause affidavit, emergency dispatchers received a call "about a person stealing campaign signs" at Cammack United Methodist Church, 1901 N. Cammack St., about 10:15 p.m. Monday.

The Yorktown Police Department requested the Delaware County Sheriff's Office investigate the matter after determining "the victim and suspect (were) both campaigning for the Town Board of Yorktown."

Yencer — a reporter for The Star Press from the mid-1970s until 2010 — was a Democratic candidate for an at-large council seat in Tuesday's election.

According to the affidavit, Yorktown Town Council incumbents Bob Ratchford and Rich Lee, both Republicans, were placing campaign signs at polling sites Monday night when they saw Yencer at the church, the polling site for Precinct 55.

The Republicans reported they circled the block "to see what Mr. Yencer's intentions were," and saw the Democrat tear up a sign for Republican U.S. Rep. Luke Messer "and place it in his trunk."

Messer's Democratic challenger, Susan Heitzman, was a financial contributor to Yencer's council race.

Lee told authorities he saw signs for other candidates — including Ratchford and Yorktown Town Council member Daniel Flanagan — in Yencer's car.

"When (Lee) told Mr. Yencer that he knew the law and he can't do that, Mr. Yencer replied that he is the law," Kip Curtis, a sheriff's deputy, wrote.

Ratchford reportedly tried to prevent Yencer from leaving the scene by standing in front of his car. The deputy wrote that Yencer then put his 1994 Nissan into reverse, striking Lee "in the knees with the rear bumper of his car."

Lee told the deputy he jumped on the vehicle's trunk to avoid injury and struck the trunk with his fist "hoping Mr. Yencer would stop."

Lee — who would later decline emergency medical treatment — maintained Yencer was "fully aware" that his vehicle struck Lee.

Yencer then drove "through an adjoining yard" and left the area, his accusers said. County police reportedly searched for Yencer in the area for about two hours, and one of the deputies took photographs of Lee's knees.

The Democrat was arrested, without incident, more than 12 hours later at the high school, the polling site for Precinct 71.

In 2012, Lee won election to the council's District 1 seat over Yencer.

The Democrat has been a consistent critic of the Republican council's handling of town government.

Attorney Robert Beymer said Tuesday night he would represent Yencer should formal charges be filed.

"The arrest was politically motivated by Mr. Ratchford and Mr. Lee, who have their facts wrong as usual," Beymer said in a prepared statement.

Yencer on Tuesday failed in a bid to win one of two at-large seats on Yorktown Town Council, finishing last in a four-candidate race. Ratchford and Lee were re-elected to their district seats.

Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. You can also follow him on Twitter @DouglasWalkerSP.