LOWELL – Three Illinois men are in custody Saturday after officers pursued five stolen vehicles in a high-speed chase in the early morning hours.
According to Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the chase began Saturday morning around 4 am after local authorities began tracking five stolen vehicles traveling in a group. One officer clocked the pack at over 130 miles per hour on I-65, before exiting near Merrillville.
“At I-65 and U.S. 30, the officer observed a male exit an SUV and attempt to flee on foot on the roadway, disappearing between vehicles that were at a standstill in traffic. The officer then spotted a car that was involved in the pursuit exit onto U.S. 30 and turn north on Colorado Street in the Hobart area. A male jumped out of the car in the 7300 block of Colorado, and ran west between houses.” Lake County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Saturday. “They endured extremely cold temperatures in a densely wooded area. In 6700 block of Colorado, officers apprehended the male who fled from the car. Officers retrieved a handgun and tools from a backpack inside the car.”
Criminal charges are now pending for three men from Illinois. No names have been released of those now in custody.
“I have been monitoring the spike in armed carjackings in the Chicago and surrounding suburbs. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is committed to apprehending these dangerous suspects and bringing them to justice,” Sheriff Martinez said.
Multiple Lake County Sheriff’s Department officers, including Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Aviation Unit, and officers from Hobart Police Department, Merrillville Police Department, St. John Police Department, and Schererville Police Department and Indiana State Patrol all assisted in apprehending the suspects.
