Opinion ID: 2077316
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Illegal Arrest and Search

Text: The defendant asserts that evidence involving his arrest in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, should have been excluded because the arrest was illegal. He seeks to exclude the testimony of the officers as well as the driver's license, burglary tools, Holiday Inn directory, and other items found in a search of the defendant and his automobile. On April 10, 1985, the Rolling Meadows Holiday Inn contacted the Portage police and informed them that a James Loskie had checked in. Early the next morning, the Portage police officers went to the Illinois hotel and discovered that the two men in Loskie's room matched the description of the Portage Holiday Inn suspects. Having set up surveillance of the suspects' room, the Portage officers contacted the Rolling Meadows police and requested that a detective unit be sent to the hotel. Approximately 7:00 a.m., the defendant's companion left the room and was confronted by one of the Portage officers who asked for the suspect's name. The other officer entered through the open door of the hotel room and asked the defendant his name. The defendant claimed to be James Loskie. Within a few minutes, the Rolling Meadows police officers arrived and asked the suspects for identification; the defendant again claimed to be James Loskie. The Rolling Meadows officers arrested the defendant's companion on two outstanding warrants. When the defendant opened his briefcase to find his identification, a Rolling Meadows officer saw several lock picks and a pair of metal knuckles in the briefcase. The officer then arrested the defendant for possession of burglary tools and unlawful possession of a weapon. Having arrested the suspects, the officers searched the suspects' automobile and discovered other evidence linking the defendant to the Portage burglaries. At trial the defense counsel objected to the introduction of physical evidence obtained from the Illinois arrest on the ground that the arrest lacked probable cause. On appeal, the defendant seeks to exclude the physical and testimonial evidence relating to the arrest and search. In doing so, he attacks each aspect of the Illinois episode. The defendant's basis for objection, the lack of probable cause for arrest, confines our review. Grounds for objection must be specific and any grounds not raised in the trial court are not available on appeal. Bedgood v. State (1985), Ind., 477 N.E.2d 869, 872. Accord Fozzard v. State (1988), Ind., 518 N.E.2d 789. The additional grounds asserted by the defendant do not rise to the level of fundamental error and, therefore, are not reviewable. See Fair v. State (1977), 226 Ind. 380, 364 N.E.2d 1007 (admission of evidence from alleged illegal arrest did not amount to fundamental error). We consider only whether the Illinois police officer had probable cause to arrest the defendant. Probable cause for a warrantless arrest exists where the arresting officer has knowledge of facts and circumstances which warrant a man of reasonable caution to believe that the suspect has committed the crime in question. Draper v. United States (1959), 358 U.S. 307, 79 S.Ct. 329, 3 L.Ed.2d 327; Merritt v. State (1986), Ind., 488 N.E.2d 340. Accord People v. Fletcher (1978), 66 Ill. App.3d 502, 23 Ill.Dec. 258, 383 N.E.2d 1285. In the present case, the Illinois police officer saw several lock picks and a pair of metal knuckles in the defendant's open briefcase. Under Illinois law, possession of either type of these articles is a felony. Ill. Ann. Stat. ch. 38 sec. 19-2 (Smith-Hurd 1977) (possession of burglary tools); Ill. Ann. Stat. ch. 38 para. 24-1(a)(1) (Smith-Hurd 1988 supp.) (unlawful use of weapon). The officer had probable cause to arrest the defendant for possession of these items. The trial court did not err in admitting the physical and testimonial evidence about the defendant's arrest in Illinois.