David L. Moser, 49, of Huntertown, is accused of cooking the books of a hotel and restaurant management company.

Between 2001 and this year, Moser is accused of embezzling $331,258 from Azar Inc., for whom he worked as a controller, according to Moser's arrest affidavit written by Detective Scott R. Morales of the Fort Wayne Police Department. Yogesh S. Paraikh, Azar's CEO, became suspicious Aug. 6 when he received a check from a restaurant in Decatur that the company manages.

Paraikh - who didn't return a call for comment Monday - told Morales the check had a stamped signature and was written by Moser. Company policy allows for stamped signatures only on payroll checks, and checks are usually signed by Paraikh and owner George Azar.

Morales wrote that Paraikh noticed further discrepancies in several checks and confronted Moser, who admitted to stealing $175,000, and got a signed a confession.

“(Moser) was immediately terminated,” Morales wrote. “Mr. Paraikh advised that further investigation determined that he had taken nearly twice as much as he confessed to.”

Morales wrote that $103,441 of the $331,258 was paid to Moser's credit card accounts. Moser faces preliminary charges of theft and six counts of forgery. Moser, who couldn't be reached for comment Monday, has not yet been arrested.

Nicole M. Johnson, 23, of Churubusco, was killed early today when her vehicle veered off the road and rolled several times, ejecting her, according to a report by the Whitley County Sheriff Department. Johnson was southbound on U.S. 33, just north of County Road 300 North, when she traveled off the west side of the road. Her 2004 Saturn sedan was totaled and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is under investigation.

A deer crossing Crescent Avenue by the Indiana University-Purdue Fort Wayne campus early today was struck by a driver in the road's far left lane, smashing in the windshield of the vehicle and killing the deer. The accident after 8 a.m. tied up traffic.

The driver was headed west toward Coliseum Boulevard on Crescent when the deer darted across the road, according to Lt. William Daugherty of the IPFW Police Department. While the mess was being cleaned up, two more deer successfully crossed the busy street.

A man exposed himself to a 7- year-old girl as she got off a school bus Monday near the intersection of Bristol Road and Dunbar Lane, according to a Fort Wayne Police report.

The suspect, described as a heavy white man, 30-45 years old, with a mustache and wearing wire-rim glasses, a blue shirt and blue jeans, pulled up to the young girl in a green sedan, and called to her. When the girl approached, she noticed the man's pants were down and he was masturbating. The girl's father called police.

An argument between a man and woman at Piere's nightclub led to him shooting up her family's home at 3601 Wayne Trace Circle around 3:50 a.m. Saturday, according to Fort Wayne Police.

After waving a pistol in the home and threatening Lashiela Martin, the man drove off and fired several shots that struck the living room ceiling and walls, according to Officer Martin Grooms' incident report. Police arrested Rodney Jones, whom they accuse of being the shooter.

Katelyn Stayton was expecting her boyfriend to come through the door of her home at 7454 Hope Drive around 11:40 p.m. Friday.

Instead it was a woman dressed in black who stabbed her in the cheek, neck and hands, according to Fort Wayne Police Officer David McCarran's incident report. Stayton told McCarran her boyfriend - whose name was blacked out on the report - had called to say he was coming over.

Stayton said her boyfriend does not have a key to her apartment and she did not feel safe Friday night. “She would not elaborate on this,” McCarran wrote. A doctor said Stayton suffered severe tendon damage to her right hand, which she may not fully regain use of, McCarran wrote.

City resident Johnnie Smith was identified by the nephew of the man he is accused of stabbing May 24 in an apartment in the 900 block of West Jefferson Boulevard. William Foster said he remembered Smith as the man who walked by him shortly before Foster found his uncle, Raymond Cummings, suffering from stab wounds, according to Smith's arrest affidavit, written by Chad D. Wagner, a Fort Wayne Police Department detective.

Foster identified Smith from a photo lineup and said he saw Smith carrying a black object in his hand that appeared to have blood on it, Wagner wrote. Smith, 49, of the 300 block of West Washington Boulevard, was preliminarily charged Monday with battery.

A city man is accused of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend Nov. 4. Miguel R. Chaparro, 32, of the 2800 block of Westbrook Drive, was preliminarily charged with battery Monday after being accused of slapping Maribel Sanchez-Andrade and then kicking her in the stomach. Sanchez-Andrade is five months pregnant.

Officers John Drummer and George Nicklow of the Fort Wayne Police Department are accused of beating a city man Oct. 20, 2007, as they attempted to search him for drugs. In a lawsuit made available Monday in Allen Superior Court, Drummer is accused of punching suspect Tyrone Warfield before Drummer rammed his knee into Warfield's face, wrote attorney Christopher C. Myers, who represents Warfield. Myers wrote that Officer Marc DeShaies and Sgt. Robert Lalone either took part in the alleged beating or failed to stop it.

Warfield, 31, a city resident with a criminal record, suffered a fractured eye socket and cuts, Myers wrote, adding that Warfield did not resist arrest. Warfield pleaded guilty to resisting arrest for refusing to open his mouth to allow police to search for drugs, but was never convicted of fighting the officers, Myers wrote. A call to Fort Wayne Police spokesman Michael Joyner was not returned by press time today.

A van at 4015 Bowser Ave., and a car at 4030 Bowser Ave., were struck with bullets around 11:45 p.m. Saturday, according to Fort Wayne Police Officer Jason Fuhrman's incident report. Fuhrman wrote that multiple shell casings were found, indicating a gunfight between two people.

A Fort Wayne man was charged with four counts of dealing and two of possession of Ecstasy, as well as one count of possession of the narcotic Alprazolam.

Zachary S. Crebb, 23, was also handed a misdemeanor charge of dealing marijuana.

Crebb, of the 2700 block of Northgate Boulevard, sold Ecstasy pills and marijuana on several occasions to Fort Wayne narcotics detectives, including times when deals were made in front of Crebb's 1-year-old son while the man smoked marijuana, according to a report filed by Sgt. Jon Noll of the Fort Wayne Police Department.

A search of Crebb's apartment last week found 35 anti-anxiety pills, 10 grams of marijuana, 70 Ecstasy pills, as well as scales and smoking pipes, according to Noll's report. Police also found a 9 mm Mac-11 pistol.

Crebb indicated to police he could reveal other dealers, and during a search of his person before that interview Monday, Crebb was found to have 274 Ecstasy pills in his pockets. The interview was canceled and Crebb was placed under arrest on a $208,250 bond.

Fort Wayne undercover detectives following a lead arrested two prostitution suspects Monday afternoon.

Tiffany Mendez, 27, of the 1200 block of Michigan Avenue, was charged with a misdemeanor prostitution charge and possession of drug paraphernalia when undercover detectives located her near the intersection of Broadway and Scott Avenue on Monday, according to a report filed by Sgt. M. Walters of the Fort Wayne Police Department.

Rakisha Ricketts, 30, of the 400 block of West Williams Street, was arrested a half-hour later at the same location.

Both Mendez and Ricketts had flagged down the detective and offered sex for money after officers followed a tip of prostitutes working in the area.

Mendez was searched and was in possession of a crack pipe.

Ricketts has had two other convictions for prostitution.

Main Street at State Street in New Haven will be closed for road reconstruction from noon today until Wednesday.

Douglas Street between Webster and Harrison streets by the federal building in Fort Wayne will be down to one lane Wednesday-Friday so Harrison Square contractors can place utilities from the Harrison Square project's ballpark parking garage to attach to the city's water, sanitary and storm water lines.

What are you thankful for? With Thanksgiving nearing, we'd like to know what you most appreciate.

Send responses with your name, hometown and phone number (the latter not for publication) and any electronic photos to nsmetro@news-

sentinel.com by Monday.

Are you one of “Santa's Helpers” - an elite group that dons the red suit and white beard for parties and local businesses?

If you would like to participate in the fifth annual Phil Steigerwald Santa's Helper contest, contact Natalia Bethea at The News-Sentinel at 461-8439 by Monday and leave your name and phone number. A Santa's Helper who wins three years in a row will need to sit out from competition for one year.

Parkview's Seniors Club will host an upcoming self-defense class for seniors and the physically challenged. The event is free and will be held 9:30-11 a.m. Monday, at the Parkview Health Corporate Office Auditorium, 10501 Corporate Drive.

Self-defense for seniors and those who are physically challenged focuses on being prepared and aware. Participants will learn about strategies and techniques such as being aware of surroundings, parking in well-lit areas, having car or house keys in hand, and walking with a purpose.

Adam Friedel with the Noble County Sheriff's Department will offer additional tips on how to defend yourself and how to be safe as you enjoy walks in your neighborhood or travel to shopping centers or public places during the coming months when we have less sunlight. Friedel will also demonstrate techniques to use if a dangerous situation occurs.

To reserve a place in the program, call 373-7209.

The Fort Wayne Community Schools board approved the appointment of Design Collaborative for the $1.6 million construction project at Wayne High School to retrofit two gyms with classrooms for a New Tech program.

The national program focuses on project-based learning and encourages the use of new technology in problem-solving.

This project will include construction of two classrooms, renovation of another classroom to become a science room, buying equipment for the classrooms and beginning the structure for two second-story classrooms.