INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man has been arrested and accused of killing his 81-year old father and injuring his father’s wife.

Police about 3:30 p.m. Thursday found John Pedigo and his wife inside their home in the 2100 block of South Catherwood Avenue. Police first went to the southeast side home for a welfare check. WISHTV.com first reported Thursday about the discovery.

Neighbors say what happened inside was horrific, and they want to know why it happened. People who knew Pedigo are grieving his loss, and praying for his wife.

Bob Kaylor, John’s friend and neighbor, said, of the gruesome scene, “Beat to a pulp. I mean, blistered, and my assumption was that Bryan probably thought she was dead, knew probably that John was passed, and decided to steal the truck and motor on down.”

Police arrested Bryan Pedigo, 54, for the homicide. Bryan was captured during a traffic stop as he was heading toward Greene County, which is about a 90-minute drive southwest of the home. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Friday that Bryan’s jail booking photo was not yet being released.

Neighbor and long-time friend James Hicks said he’s known the couple for over 20 years, and said he and John would talk every day. “He was a heck of a guy. We all thought he was a good guy in the neighborhood. We called him ‘the governor’ because their home was the first home built in the neighborhood, and they had lived in it ever since.”

Hicks says John was a Vietnam War veteran and built florescent signs before retiring. Hicks said John had a heart attack a few years ago, and ever since then, the neighbors looked out for each other. “Honest, friendly, and loyal to his friends and family. He was that kind of guy.”

Kaylor said the homicide is something friends had feared for a while. Kaylor and Hicks say the couple had restraining orders against Bryan in the past, and that this was not his first attack against him.

Kaylor said, “How could this get through the ranks? How could does this slip through the system? You only have one life. If you don’t live it free and out of fear, you’re not going to make it, and the fear for them was their son.”

Hicks said, “We had always worried about this guy. I had had issues with him. Bob and I had had issues with their son Bryan.”

Kaylor said, “We all try to raise our kids to the best standards that we can. They did, too. Trust me, they did.”

According to Marion County public records, Bryan has a criminal history. Just this year, he’s been charged with domestic battery with prior convictions, public intoxication, possession of meth, and OWI. Records date back to the early 1990s.

Online records did not yet show a case Friday evening for Bryan following his most recent arrest.

Anyone with information on the case was asked to call IMPD Detective Daniel Hiatt at 317-327-3475 or e-mail the detective at daniel.hiatt@indy.gov.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Latino Expo 2025 Awards Gala will take place on December 12 at La Flaca at The Square in Indianapolis, celebrating the achievements of the Latino community.

This gala marks the quinceanera of the Indiana Latino Expo, celebrating 15 years of recognizing individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the Latino community in areas such as civil rights, health, arts, and entertainment.

“What I love about it, too, is all these people and organizations that are going to be honored, they don’t do what they do for that,” said Charles Garcia with the Indiana Latino Expo. “It’s really an opportunity for you guys to say, hey, we see the work that you’re doing behind the scenes.”

The event promises a night filled with entertainment, delicious food, and inspiring stories, providing an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate their achievements.

Sponsors for the gala include McDonald’s, Indianapolis Airport, Old National, and WISH-TV, highlighting the support from various sectors for the Latino community.

DJ Rican will be providing entertainment, ensuring a lively atmosphere where attendees can relax, dance, and enjoy the evening.

Charles Garcia emphasized the importance of recognizing the hard work and dedication of those who contribute to the community, often sacrificing personal time to make a positive impact.

The Indiana Latino Expo 2025 Awards Gala is set to be a memorable event, celebrating the contributions and achievements of the Latino community in Indiana. Attendees can look forward to a night of recognition and fellowship, marking the end of the year with a celebration of community and impact.

INDIANAPOLIS — Salt and plow truck drivers work tirelessly through winter to keep the roads clear. Have you ever wondered how they prepare for their shift?

Indianapolis Department of Public Works is currently running twelve-hour rotating shifts. This is to keep up with multiple rounds of ice, snow, and cold temperatures.

WRTV went to the 11 a.m. shift change at one of the DPW’s buildings on Thursday.

As B-shift employees exited the building, groups of A-shifters filtered in and waited for their group briefing.

“A shift, good morning, good morning!” greeted William Walker, superintendent of District 3.

Walker was speaking to the group of incoming A-shift employees. They gathered in a large circle around Walker. Some stood; others found benches or couches to lounge on through the meeting.

Walker described the forecast and potential impacts on all the workers.

“The game plan today is the weather advisory is in effect,” Walker said. “Snow expected late tonight, continuing into Friday morning. There’s a potential for sticking on untreated pavement.”

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Walker went on to take roll call and give drivers their assignments for the day.

“You’re going to get your trucks, check them out, make sure they’re fueled up, have salt in them,” Walker spoke to the group of drivers. “Ready to go when we deploy at three o’clock today.”

After the meeting, drivers went outside to the row of waiting salt and plow trucks. Some performed maintenance, others were doing walk-arounds to ensure all their equipment was working properly.

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Today’s challenge was the shifting weather: from treating for freezing drizzle in the morning to focusing on what they call the ‘snow fight’ in the evening.

Dewayne Clemmons, Chief Union Steward, shared what happens once the drivers are deployed.

“It depends on the inclement weather that we get,” Clemmons said. “We approach it differently.”

“There’s times that we’ve gotten so much snow that we just pause the salting, and just go strictly into a plowing operation, because at that point, all we’re doing is just wasting salt,” Clemmons continued.

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Adam Pinsker, spokesperson for DPW, shared more of the process.

“When the snow comes, they’ll be out plowing.,” Pinsker said of the crews. “That’ll start as soon as the first bit of snow comes down. It can be tricky because some parts of the city, like the last snow event we had, certain parts of the city got three or four inches, and other parts got less than two inches. So it does vary by where you are in Indianapolis.”

Decisions to pause salting and move to plowing come from the Operations team. This is communicated to the different districts and ultimately communicated to each driver.

Even though the group of drivers has a plan when leaving the briefing at the start of the shift, the plan often shifts as the forecast unfolds.

In Thursday night’s instance, A-shifters will continue plowing roads until 11 p.m., when B-shift returns for their next 12-hour shift.

The work doesn’t stop once the snow has been plowed.

“Then we go back to salting, to start breaking it up, and try to get it down to bare pavement,” continued Dewayne Clemmons.

From December 1 through April 1, drivers are not allowed to take scheduled vacations. This is in addition to working the rotating 12-hour shifts when the weather demands it.

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It’s a lot of work, but there is a support team for the drivers. There were countless other workers on-site at the changing of shifts.

“We also have Indianapolis Fleet Services. They’re there to make sure that these vehicles are maintenanced if there’s a problem,” Pinsker told WRTV. “We have laborers who work back here at the salt barns and in the facilities. We have supervisors who are out here, so it takes an entire team to support our drivers and make sure they have what they need to succeed in this snow fight.”

During the A-shift prep meeting, Clemmons encouraged the group.

“It looks like we may be in this until Sunday,” Clemmons said. “It don’t look like it’s going to be as long as our last snow fight. We do appreciate you guys coming in. We’re spending more time with each other than we’re spending with our own families. So again, it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

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What can everyday drivers do to help these hardworking DPW drivers during their next snow fight?

“When these trucks are out on the roads, just give them their space, because they’re trying to make the roads safe for the city of Indianapolis,” Clemmons concluded.