Indianapolis police arrest man for throwing party at vacant building

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis police say a 30-year-old man is in custody for throwing an “illegal, after-hours party” at a vacant building near the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Alonzo Smith faces preliminary charges of burglary, theft, criminal trespass, and maintaining a common nuisance, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Tuesday.

IMPD says the investigation began when detectives from the Nuisance Abatement Unit got a tip about a party scheduled for 3 a.m. Sunday at a building near 38th Street and Keystone Avenue.

The property owner confirmed to detectives that the building was vacant and no one had permission to be there.

Early Sunday morning, police stopped by the vacant building and found a “large number of people inside and outside the building,” IMPD says. Detectives also found Smith, who told them he was “hosting the event” and claimed to have a key to the building.

The property owner told detectives that Smith was never given a key and likely accessed the lockbox on the garage door to obtain one. The lockbox was found unlocked and missing its key, according to IMPD.

Detectives searched the building and found alcohol that didn’t belong to the property owner. The alcohol was seized and destroyed by state excise police.

IMPD says detectives were familiar with Smith from previous incidents, including a prior party he promoted tha...