The most-read stories on NWI.com during the past week.
MICHIGAN CITY — A traffic stop ended with a man running into the woods while being pursued by a state trooper.
An Indiana state trooper attempted to stop a black Cadillac for a traffic violation Wednesday at the intersection of U.S. 20 and Indiana 212 in LaPorte County near Michigan City, according to Indiana State Police.
The vehicle stopped and the passenger, David Whitney, 33, of Coloma, Michigan, allegedly ran out of the car and fled into the woods nearby, police said.
The trooper chased him and attempted to deploy his taser in the foot pursuit. The trooper caught up with Whitney and a struggle ensued between the two, police said.
The trooper apprehended Whitney, who was charged with resisting arrest and battery against law enforcement and is in custody at LaPorte County Jail.
The driver of the vehicle, a Michigan City man, was given a citation and released from the scene.
CROWN POINT — Teens dove out of the way and a man was nearly mowed down in his own yard during a high-speed chase that tore through a quiet Crown Point neighborhood, police said.
Before smashing through a homeowner's fence and being pinned by the Lake County Sheriff's squad car, the driver allegedly threw a brick of cocaine out of his window.
Jermell Dupree Anderson, 42, of Gary, was charged on Thursday with dealing in cocaine, possession of cocaine, two counts of resisting law enforcement and two counts of reckless driving, Lake Criminal Court records show.
Police accounts show the pursuit began with a minor traffic stop and quickly escalated into a chaotic chase.
At 3:37 p.m. Tuesday, a Lake County Sheriff's detective was on patrol in an unmarked police car when he saw a red Mazda following a semi too close on northbound Interstate 65 near the Lake County and Newton County line, court records said.
When Anderson saw the detective, he allegedly tried to hide his face with his hand and lean back out of view. After the detective activated his lights and stopped the Mazda, Anderson appeared to be visibly shaking and heavily breathing.
The detective told Anderson the infractions were minor and he would be issuing a warning. Before he could tell the driver of the infractions he committed, Anderson said his driver's license was expired.
His hand trembling, Anderson dropped his I.D. card and the detective told him he could relax as it was just a minor traffic offense.
As Anderson's breathing became more labored, the detective asked Anderson if he was OK. Anderson said the car was a rental and the detective asked him to step out of his vehicle while he conducted a license and car paperwork check.
Instead, Anderson looked over his shoulder, put the car in drive and sped away, leading a high-speed chase on northbound I-65.
He took the Lowell exit and nearly hit a construction truck after disregarding a stop light, court records alleged. He then sped back onto the I-65 northbound exit from Route 2, weaving in and out of traffic at dangerous speeds with multiple squad cars in pursuit.
Anderson took an exit into Crown Point, speeding northbound on U.S. 231, allegedly blowing through the stop light at the Broadway intersection and nearly hitting another car.
Nearly hitting multiple vehicles, Anderson sped to the intersection of Indiana Avenue and U.S. 231 and blew through another stop light, almost causing another collision.
Now northbound on Indiana Avenue, Anderson sped to North Street again, almost striking multiple vehicles, police said.
As Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez came in pursuit of the Mazda on North Street, Anderson turned to cut through a residential lawn on the northwest corner of North and Church streets.
Three teenagers were standing in the lawn and had to jump out of the way to avoid the vehicle barreling toward them.
The fleeing driver narrowly missed the teens and almost collided with Martinez head-on, court records alleged.
Taking over the pursuit, Martinez followed Anderson to the dead end of Church Street. In an attempt to escape, the Mazda turned into a yard in the 400 block of Church Street, where the homeowner was standing in his driveway, police said.
The Crown Point man told The Times he heard the loud squealing of tires before he saw the car take a sharp turn into his side yard, colliding with a curb so hard the front tires lifted off the ground.
At one point, the Mazda was pointing right at the man when it suddenly straightened out and slammed into his fence. The man told police he saw Anderson throw a paper bag out his window right before crashing through the fence.
Martinez then pinned the Mazda against the man's garage using his squad car, ending the high-speed chase.
Once Anderson was out of the car, he allegedly continued to fight with officers, disregarding commands and attempting to reach into his waist. Officers were able to handcuff Anderson and he was taken into custody of medics and refused medical attention, court reports said.
Police found the paper bag, which contained a vacuum-sealed, white brick-like substance that police confirmed as being a 137 grams of cocaine.
Anderson is in custody and his bail is set at $60,000, court records show.
CROWN POINT — A Chicago man led police on a high-speed pursuit Saturday, stopped suddenly and caused police to crash, and was caught by a K-9 as he tried to run through a parking lot, court records say.
Samuel Kelly, 41, smelled of alcohol as he told police he fled a traffic stop at 850 W. U.S. 30 in Merrillville because he was wanted on warrants out of Ohio and Minnesota, according to court records.
A Merrillville police officer attempted to pull over a black Nissan after Kelly disregarded a red light while turning onto the frontage road in the 700 block of U.S. 30, Lake Criminal Court records say.
Kelly pulled into the parking lot at a cigar shop in the 800 block of U.S. 30, but then drove through a grass parkway and sped off west on U.S. 30, records allege.
At one point, police clocked Kelly going 108 mph in a 45 mph zone. Schererville police successfully deployed a tire-deflating device on U.S. 30 near Cline Avenue, but Kelly continued driving west in the eastbound lanes, records say.
Kelly sped through the parking lot at the BP gas station at U.S. 30 and U.S. 41, headed north on U.S. 41 and suddenly stopped, records say.
The stop caused two crashes involving Schererville and Lake County police cars and left a Schererville officer with minor injuries. The officer was treated and later returned to work, police Cmdr. Jeff Cook said.
Kelly exited the Nissan and ran through the Walmart parking lot, but was caught by Schererville police K-9 Bosco.
Kelly was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police obtained a warrant for a blood draw to test Kelly for alcohol use, records say.
Kelly was charged Tuesday with two felony counts of resisting law enforcement, one felony count of leaving the scene of an accident causing injury, and misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement and operating while intoxicated.
Not guilty pleas were entered on Kelly's behalf during an initial appearance Wednesday. He also signed a waiver of extradition, records show.
GARY — A 16-year-old boy was shot Wednesday night, according to police.
Around 7:40 p.m. police responded to a shooting in the 300 block of East 49th Avenue in Gary, Cmdr. Jack Hamady said.
Officers found a 16-year-old Gary boy who suffered a single gunshot wound. The teen was transported to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary, Hamady said.
The teen's current condition or nature of his wounds was unknown Wednesday night.
Anyone with information on the shooting should contact the crime tip line at 866-CRIME-GP.
EAST CHICAGO — A plea hearing for an 18-year-old charged in the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old has been set for June.
The accused's attorney said “a plea agreement has been lingering out there.”
Sherquell Dion Magee, of East Chicago, was 17 years old when he was charged with murder in the May 5, 2018 shooting of an 11-year-old boy in an East Chicago park.
In February, Magee turned 18 years old.
“I have to help my client make some tough decisions,” defense attorney John Cantrell said of Magee.
In addition to murder, Magee was charged with attempted murder, attempted battery by means of a deadly weapon and using a firearm in commission of offense.
A surveillance video allegedly shows Magee trying to shoot a 14-year-old boy during a fight at Nunez Park. The 14-year-old boy ducked and the bullet struck 11-year-old David Anderson, who was watching the fight, court records state.
A juvenile involved in the incident told police the fight erupted between boys from “Calumet” and the “Harbor,” referring to rival neighborhoods in the city, court reports said.
The fifth-grader suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital, where he died a day later.
Anderson was a popular basketball player for the Washington Elementary School Cardinals and wore his No. 1 jersey proudly at every game, sources said.
Cantrell went before a judge in criminal court Tuesday and set a plea hearing date for June 11.
CROWN POINT — A Crown Point man said he's lucky to be alive after a car fleeing police veered onto his lawn and toward him before correcting course and slamming through his fence.
A high-speed chase that began near the Lake-Jasper County line on Interstate 65 on Tuesday afternoon ended when Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez tactically used his police SUV to pin the fleeing suspect's car against the Crown Point man's garage.
The man, who spoke to The Times on condition his name not be printed, said he was standing in his open garage in the 400 block of Church Street when he heard the loud squealing of tires approaching his property.
A red Mazda then did a sharp turn into the grass on his side yard, hitting a curb so hard the vehicle "popped a wheelie," he said.
"At that point, the vehicle was pointing right at me," he said. "Then the tires seemed to catch, it straightened out and it slammed into my fence."
His fiancee, who also lives in the home, spoke to The Times on Wednesday morning about the terror and chaos they experienced as a man suspected of possessing a quarter-kilogram of cocaine drove the red Mazda rental car through the fence of their side yard in what is normally a quiet Crown Point residential neighborhood.
"He's lucky to be alive," the woman said of her fiance. "The car nearly hit him."
It wasn't the only close call in the chase that ended at 4:16 p.m. Tuesday on Church Street.
Martinez said the driver, Jermell D. Anderson, 42, of Gary, began speeding through lawns in the congested residential neighborhood, nearly hitting a group of schoolchildren who had just exited a school bus.
It's why when he caught up to the car at the end of the dead-end road, Martinez chose to sideswipe the Mazda into the side of the residents' garage, ending the chase, he said.
The man who witnessed the scene from his garage said the impact of the Mazda into his fence seemed to slow it down enough for the sheriff to gain ground and pin it against the building.
"After that happened, I looked around the corner to see what was going on. Almost immediately, several more squads sped in, and I decided I needed to get out of the way."
For the woman who lives in the home with her fiance and teenage daughter, it all became an experience in terror.
"I was driving home from work down Merrillville Road, and all of a sudden I saw a county cop with lights fly right past me," she said Wednesday, recounting the chaos.
"And I was like, this is insane. Never in a million years did I think the cop and I were going to the same place."
That place ended up being her side yard, just off the driveway of her home.
"I'm driving and I see all the kids outside after the bus dropped them off. I turn down my street, and there's cops everywhere — in my yard, in my backyard. And I'm like, 'What the hell is going on here?'"
The woman said she rolled down her window to identify herself to an officer.
"He goes, 'Stay right here. Your husband (he's actually my fiance, but they called him my husband) is OK. Your daughter is OK. Nobody is hurt.' "
They were lucky, she said.
Her fiance had been outside cleaning the garage and saw the suspect's red Mazda as it fishtailed through their side yard, nearly striking him as it took out a fence, she said.
The family dog, Diesel, often is tied out in the yard where the chase ended, the male resident said.
And the suspect's vehicle also passed over an area of somewhat high grass in which a family of baby rabbits has been living. None of the animals was killed, the female resident said.
The next several minutes were what she described as controlled chaos.
The homeowners watched as the suspect was cuffed and arrested.
The male homeowner said he saw the suspect throw something out of his window and into their yard as police converged.
The sheriff confirmed the account and noted the homeowner pointed out the package to police. It contained what police suspect is a quarter-kilogram of cocaine, Martinez said.
Martinez said the chase began after officers of his Highway Interdiction Unit pulled over the red Mazda on northbound I-65. It had been following other vehicles too closely and improperly using lanes, he said.
When police approached the vehicle and asked the driver for his information, the Mazda sped away, eventually exiting at U.S. 231 and then making its way to the Crown Point neighborhood on Church Street, not far from the city sportsplex.
Kathleen Gutierrez, 25, was one of the first residents to watch the matter unfold in real time.
Gutierrez, who lives near the home where the chase ended, said she heard a swarm of police sirens and initially thought they were responding to an accident on 109th Avenue.
Then what seemed like more than a dozen police vehicles were blasting past her home, chasing the red Mazda, she said.
"I saw all the cars going down in what had to be like 60 mph," she said. "I saw them pull up into the grass and figured something was wrong with my neighbor.
"But then I saw the guy get out of the car, and they (police) had him pinned to the ground."
Gutierrez said she was grateful the police showed up in force to arrest the suspect and that no one was hurt.
"It's a really quiet street, and not much really happens down here," she said. "So when something happens like that, it's crazy."
Criminal charges were expected to be filed against Anderson sometime Wednesday.
Check back at nwi.com for updates to this story.
CROWN POINT — The Lake County sheriff rammed a fleeing suspect's vehicle into the side of a garage Tuesday afternoon after it drove through lawns and nearly struck schoolchildren, police said.
Police also recovered what they believe is a package containing a quarter-kilogram of cocaine that the suspect threw from a car window while fleeing police, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez confirmed.
Sheriff's police arrested the suspect, Jermell D. Anderson, 42, of Gary, after a high-speed pursuit that began at 3:37 p.m. when Anderson fled a traffic stop on Interstate 65 near the Lake-Jasper county line, Martinez said.
He said officers of the sheriff's Highway Interdiction Unit stopped the red Mazda 6 that Anderson was driving near mile marker 130 on I-65 because it was following other vehicles too closely and was improperly using traffic lanes.
When an officer approached the driver's side window and asked for Anderson's license, the suspect sped from the scene, the sheriff said.
Police gave chase north on I-65, and the suspect ultimately exited at U.S. 231 and led police into the area of Crown Point near the intersection of East North and Church streets.
Hearing about the matter on his police radio, Martinez said he drove toward the area to help.
"The suspect drove through several yards and came dangerously close to a group of schoolchildren who had exited a school bus," Martinez said. "He clearly had no regard for anyone's life or safety."
The car then nearly hit the SUV that Martinez was driving before swerving again, he said.
Martinez said he pursued and was able to sideswipe the suspect's car, pinning it against a garage, allowing his officers to arrest Anderson and ending the pursuit at 4:16 p.m.
"I used necessary force to stop the threat," he said.
Charges in the matter will be filed Wednesday, Martinez said.
Check back on nwi.com for more details in this developing story.
CROWN POINT — An officer patrolling the square heard a gunshot Sunday, was flagged down near the Safe House Bar and Grill, and was told a man had fired a gun and run off, court records say.
D'Angelo R. Grays, 22, of Gary, was among several people removed by another officer from a white Hyundai Elantra in the parking lot of a nearby bank, police said.
Witnesses told police Grays and his friends argued with other patrons while inside the Safe House Bar, because the DJ never played a song, Lake Criminal Court records say.
Bouncers removed Grays, who returned with a gun, records say.
Surveillance video showed Grays pulled a handgun from his waistband and waved it around near the entrance to the bar, then pointed it at a bouncer, records say.
The bouncer told police Grays threatened to kill him, but the bouncer was able to get Grays to leave. As Grays left, he fired a round into the air while several bystanders were in the area, records allege.
The patrolling officer heard the shot at 2:38 a.m., according to police.
"This case is a prime example of an act that could have turned out much worse for everyone involved," Crown Point Chief Pete Land said. "We were fortunate that a Crown Point Officer happened to be just a block away, heard the gunshot, and arrived at the scene within just a few seconds before the suspect was able to flee from the location."
Grays allegedly admitted he fired the gun, because he was angry and thought the bouncers were disrespecting his friends.
Grays was charged Monday with felony counts of intimidation, criminal recklessness and pointing a firearm, and a misdemeanor count of carrying a firearm without a license.
Grays was being held on a $75,000 bail. Online court records did not yet show when his initial appearance is scheduled.
SCHERERVILLE — A 22-year-old Dyer man have been intoxicated Sunday when he became pinned under his driver's side door after his car rolled backward and his right leg got trapped in the emergency brake, police said.
Schererville police responded about 1:30 a.m. to the 50 block of Cedar Lane for a report of a man trapped under a vehicle, Cmdr. Jeff Cook said.
Officers discovered the man wasn't trapped under the vehicle, but instead had been pinned under the door, he said.
The driver, whose name wasn't released pending formal charges, stopped in the middle of the road, attempted to place his vehicle in park and exited it, Cook said.
"Instead, the vehicle was placed into reverse as his left leg was on the ground and the driver's door was opened," he said. "The vehicle began to roll backwards, while his right leg became trapped in the emergency brake."
The driver was thrown to the asphalt as the car continued to roll back past him. The car stopped when it struck a mailbox, pinning the driver down.
Medics took the driver to Community Hospital in Munster, Cook said. Police did not have information about the extent of the man's injuries.
Charges were pending toxicology results, police said.
GARY — A 27-year-old man was seriously wounded in a shooting Monday in the city's Tolleston section, police said.
Gary police responded about 7:45 p.m. to the 4000 block of West 11th Avenue for a report of shots fired, Cmdr. Jack Hamady said.
Police found a crime scene, but no people in the area, he said.
A short time later, police were called to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus for a gunshot wound victim who arrived in a private vehicle, he said.
The 27-year-old had been shot multiple times, he said.
A witness told police the man was sitting in a parked car in the 4000 block of West 11th Avenue when someone walked up behind the car and began shooting, Hamady said. The man was able to drive away.
The man was later transferred to an Illinois hospital for further treatment, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sgt. Michael Barnes at 219-881-1210. To remain anonymous, call 866-CRIME-GP.
VALPARAISO — Just more than 15 years after sentencing then 20-year-old Chad Henry to the near-maximum sentence of 45 years behind bars for beating his roommate to death with a hammer, Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper is considering a request for his early release.
Henry said in his motion he is a good candidate for a modified sentence because he has completed a number of educational programs while locked up.
Porter County prosecutors oppose the request, telling the court Tuesday Henry has filed more requests for modified sentence than is allowed for by the law and does not have the necessary consent of prosecutors to move forward with this latest request.
Henry had filed four previous requests and all were denied by the court, according to prosecutors.
Henry, who is now 35, is at the Pendleton Correctional Facility and has an earliest possible release date of Feb. 28, 2022, according to online records maintained by the Indiana Department of Corrections.
Henry was originally charged with murder in the case, but wound up pleading guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter for beating 50-year-old Robert Verboom to death on Nov. 23, 2002, at his home in the Whispering Sands Mobile Home Park on U.S. 6 in Liberty Township.
The beating caved in the side of Verboom's head and fractured five of his ribs, a prosecutor said at the time. A pathologist determined the 50-year-old suffered a minimum of six blows to the upper left shoulder area and at least six others to the head, leaving wounds similar to those seen in car accidents.
Henry, who was 19 at the time and living with Verboom in the mobile home, later attempted to argue that he lashed out after Verboom grabbed him in a way he interpreted as a sexual advance.
This "gay panic" defense was challenged by evidence that Henry did not raise the charge when first questioned about the crime. Henry also testified in court that he did not know Verboom's sexual orientation.
Verboom's attempts to toss Henry out of his home for failing to contribute financially caused the conflict, then-Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Blair Todd said at the time.
Henry fled to Florida following the killing and Verboom's body was discovered three weeks later by Verboom's daughter, Jacquelyn Verboom, who said it changed her life forever.
"He took Chad Henry into his house," she said. "It was the biggest mistake of his life. It cost him his life."
HANOVER TOWNSHIP — One person died and two were injured after a pickup truck drifted into oncoming traffic along U.S. 41 about 4:15 a.m. Tuesday and hit a box truck head-on, police said.
The driver of the box truck died from blunt force trauma at the scene in the 12200 block of U.S. 41, just north of Cedar Lake, according Lake County sheriff's police and the Lake County coroner's office.
The man's name has not yet been released. The death was ruled an accident.
The driver of the black pickup truck was flown by helicopter to a hospital for treatment, said Pamela Jones, a sheriff's spokeswoman.
A passenger in the box truck was taken to a hospital by ambulance for treatment of a minor injury, she said.
The Cedar Lake, Crown Point and Lowell fire departments assisted, a coroner's release said.
Check back at nwi.com for updates to this story.
PORTAGE — A cab driver accused of throwing a beverage in the face of a customer who canceled on a call Monday was found to be in possession of rifle fitted with an illegal bump stock that allows semiautomatic firearms to shoot more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger, according to police.
Cedrick Thornton, 31, of Gary, was taken into custody on preliminary charges of possessing marijuana and battery, police said.
A guest at the Travel Inn hotel at 6101 U.S. 20 told police he had called a cab to take him to a bus stop, police said. But when the cab failed to arrive in enough time to allow him to catch the bus, the man said he called back and canceled the cab.
The man said the cab company informed him there would be a cancellation fee, but he said he would not pay because the driver failed to show in time, according to police. When the driver, Thornton, arrived at 8:50 a.m., he walked into the hotel lobby and without saying a word, took a cup of either water or iced tea and threw it in the face of the alleged victim, police said.
A witness said he asked Thornton why he threw the drink and he reportedly responded, "Because I wanted to."
Thornton drove off, but was later stopped by police, who said they discovered his driver's license had been suspended with a prior conviction. Police said they discovered he was in possession of marijuana.
Police said they also discovered an AR-15 rifle in the trunk of Thornton's vehicle with a bump stock attached, which is now illegal. The discovery of the gun was referred to a firearm task force to investigate.
A handgun fully loaded with a 31-round magazine and a round in chamber was also discovered in the vehicle, police said, along with two laptops, four smartphones and an Xbox One.
CROWN POINT — A Hammond man faces six felony charges alleging he raped his ex-girlfriend May 11 and held her against her will, court records show.
Joshua P. Little, 35, of Hammond, is accused of strangling the woman several times to prevent her from fighting back or escaping.
Police arrested Little after the woman was able to text a friend for help while Little slept, Lake Criminal Court records say.
The woman, who ran out of the house half-clothed to meet police, told investigators she broke up with Little about a week earlier because she met someone else, but was still trying to be friends.
The woman said she went with Little to another friend's home May 11, and they stopped at his home so she could use the bathroom, according to court records.
When the woman went into Little's room to tell him she was ready to go to her home, he allegedly threw her on a bed and raped her.
Little faces two counts of rape, one count of criminal confinement, two counts of domestic battery, one count of strangulation and a misdemeanor count of battery by bodily waste.
A magistrate entered not guilty pleas on Little's behalf during an initial appearance Wednesday. He is being held on a bond of $90,000 surety or $9,000 cash.
His formal appearance before Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez is set for Thursday.
VALPARAISO — A 56-year-old Gary man, who has already served 24 years behind bars for murder, is on his way back to prison for attempted rape, and burglary and robbery involving a Portage woman.
LaQuan Apara, formerly known as Milton Anderson, who maintains his innocence, was sentenced to 30 years behind bars Monday afternoon by Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford.
Apara was also labeled a sexually violent predator by the court.
Apara, who asked the judge for fairness before sentencing, said he intends to appeal.
He was appointed the services of a Porter County public defender to represent him after saying he owns no property, has little savings and no job.
Porter County Deputy Prosecutor David Urbanski had told jurors during the August trial that the then-58-year-old Portage woman awoke suddenly during the early morning hours of May 25, 2014, to find a man with his face covered in her townhouse.
The man covered the woman's eyes and mouth with duct tape and used the tape to bind her hands before ordering her to the bed and attempting to rape her, he said.
Urbanski said DNA evidence collected from the scene links Apara to the crime.
Apara has already served 24 years behind bars after being convicted in 1982 for murder after he and another person stabbed a woman while attempting to rob her purse.
Bradford cited Apara's criminal history while sentencing him.
Apara has remained locked up at the Porter County Jail since July 31, 2014, according to Bradford. That time served and any associated credit will be taken off his prison term.
VALPARAISO — A 39-year-old Valparaiso man with a history of sex related offenses in the Region faces 18 years behind bars after pleading guilty Monday to a reduced felony child molesting charge.
Bryan Blackmon would also be determined to be a sexually violent predator, which carries a lifetime sex offender registration, if the proposed plea agreement is accepted June 24 by Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford.
Prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining felony counts of child molesting, performing sexual conduct in the presence of a minor and dissemination of matter harmful to minors in return for the plea, according to court records.
The latest charges stem from an alleged admission Blackmon made in a letter from jail to the mother of a girl under age 14, according to charging information.
Blackmon said he was communicating with the girl by phone in a sexual nature and the conversation resulted in him later touching her in a sexual manner, according to police. The girl said she also walked in on Blackmon watching pornography and it led to another sexual incident.
EAST CHICAGO — Days after attempted murder charges against him were dismissed, a Hammond man was shot dead after a fight that apparently did not involve him.
A witness told police a fight ended with gunshots early Sunday in the city's Indiana Harbor section. Soon after that, police arrived and found Alan L. Ross Jr., 22, dead, an official said.
Ross appeared to have been shot in the face about 2 a.m. in the area of 140th and Pulaski streets, East Chicago Police Lt. Marguerite Wilder said.
The witness told police people fled the area after the shots were fired, she said.
"Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that the victim was an involved party in the fight or the intended target of the shots fired," Wilder said. "Prior to this incident, East Chicago police had no prior contact with (the) victim."
Hammond police previously have arrested Ross twice on attempted murder charges, a spokesman for the Lake County prosecutor's office confirmed Monday.
East Chicago police responded to 140th and Pulaski streets Sunday after the city's ShotSpotter technology indicated gunshots in the area, Wilder said.
Medics arrived minutes later, but were unable to revive Ross. He was pronounced dead at the scene about 4:15 a.m. The death was ruled a homicide, a Lake County coroner's release said.
Charges in Ross's latest case, filed in April 2018, were dismissed last week after a victim refused to cooperate and a witness recanted his prior statements about a shooting March 27, 2018, that wounded a then 54-year-old man in the 1000 block of Drackert Street.
Ross had been accused of opening fire on the 54-year-old as he confronted Ross and three other men. Charges against the three other men also were dismissed.
Ross was just 17 years old when he was charged in connection with a shooting in July 2014 that wounded a mother from Addison, Illinois, and two of her daughters.
The woman traveled to to the 900 block of Highland Street to buy a cellphone, and later identified Ross at the man who demanded money and fired shots into her car.
The woman was shot in the right hand and arm. Her then-15-year-old daughter was shot in the right arm, lower right abdominal area and right leg, and her then-12-year-old daughter was shot in her right hip, court records say.
Lake County prosecutors dropped charges against Ross and his co-defendant in that shooting in September 2014.
The co-defendant was later charged in U.S. District Court and sentenced to more than five years in prison. Federal charges were not filed against Ross, records show.
Anyone who may have been in the area at the time of Ross's homicide or have information is asked to contact Detective Isaac Washington at 219-391-8318 or email iwashington@eastchicago.com. To remain anonymous, call 219-391-8500.
ST. JOHN — A Valparaiso man has died from injuries he suffered when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed May 9 during a possible race on U.S. 41, authorities said.
Lucio Faberardino, 22, died Wednesday at Loyola University Medical Center from complications due to multiple injuries suffered in a crash, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Witnesses told police Faberardino appeared to have been involved in a race with the driver of another vehicle May 9, just before he lost control in the northbound lanes of the 10200 block of U.S. 41 in St. John, skidded into southbound lanes and was struck by a van.
Whomever Faberardino was racing left before police arrived at the crash scene, Police Chief James Kveton said.
Faberardino was taken to a local hospital and later flown to Loyola University Medical Center because of the extent of his injuries, police said.
Police conducted an extensive investigation but so far have not been able to identify the second vehicle involved in the race, Detective Cmdr. Steve Flores said.
Anyone with information about the vehicle or its driver is asked to call Flores at 219-365-6035.
VALPARAISO — A 25-year-old Gary woman pleaded guilty Monday morning to sexual misconduct with one of her martial arts students beginning when the girl was 13.
Malary Jones will be sentenced to five years in prison, with all but time served suspended and served on formal probation if the proposed plea agreement is accepted July 8 by Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford.
She will also be required to register as a sex offender and undergo HIV testing, according to the proposed agreement.
Jones pleaded guilty to a felony count of sexual misconduct with a minor in return for prosecutors dropping a second felony count of child molesting.
The allegations came to light in April 2018 when the girl confided in a school counselor, police said. Jones was a karate/taekwondo instructor at a studio in Portage and the girl was a student when the reported molestation began in July 2016.
"(The girl) advised that she did not want to have sex with Jones, but did not want to be rude," according to charging documents. "(The girl) advised that she would make excuses not to have sex with Jones, however Jones would become angry when she did."
Jones was 22 and the girl was 13 when the incidents began, police said.
The girl reportedly told police she saw Jones kissing a 14-year-old and then Jones told her she liked the girl a week later. The molestation took place over the next year and three months, police said.
The girl reportedly told police she and Jones had exchanged nude photographs and she had a video of the two in bed.
"(The girl) advised that since breaking up with Jones, the thought of her in a relationship with Jones started to really 'bug' her," according to the charging documents.
Police said Jones admitted to sexual incidents with the girl about 13 times over a period of a year, including at least twice when the girl was 13.
PORTAGE — A 21-year-old Portage man found himself staring down the barrel of a gun early Saturday after walking home from a bar and attempting to enter the wrong house, according to police.
Christopher Ramos, of the 3800 block of Infield Street, was arrested on a preliminary charge of public intoxication after police said his blood alcohol count measured 0.133 percent or more than one-and-a-half times the legal limit for driving.
A homeowner in the 3900 block of Stadium Street said he was getting ready for work around 4:30 a.m. when he noticed the handle on his front door moving, police said.
The man said he called 911, retrieved a handgun from his bedroom and then walked outside to confront Ramos as he stood at the end of the sidewalk near the home's garage door, according to police. The homeowner said he pointed the gun at Ramos and ordered him to the ground.
Police said the homeowner held the man at gunpoint until they arrived and stayed on the telephone with dispatch the entire time.
The homeowner secured his gun in a holster after Ramos was handcuffed by police.
Ramos reportedly told police he attempted to enter the wrong house after walking home from a bar.
DYER — Police are investigating an incident Sunday in which a contract worker died while working on an electronic sign at Pop's Italian Sausage and Beef.
Terry Mirkov, 62, of Crete, was pronounced dead at noon, according to the Lake County coroner's office.
The cause of death was still pending as of Sunday evening. Police scanner reports suggest authorities were responding to a call about a possible electrocution.
"We're asking if anyone saw anything to call us," Dyer Police Cmdr. Don Foley said. "It's still an ongoing death investigation. We're trying to figure out whether this was medical or accidental. It doesn't appear there was any foul play."
Foley said he should have more details after the coroner's office does an autopsy Monday morning.
Crews first received a call about the incident in the 1100 block of Joliet St. at 11:13 a.m., Foley said.
Multiple Dyer police and fire, Superior Ambulance and NIPSCO vehicles were at the scene late Sunday morning and early afternoon. The Lake County Coroner was called to the scene at 11:27 a.m.
Westbound U.S. 30 traffic was affected with backups during the incident.
Check back at nwi.com for updates as they become available.
EAST CHICAGO — A 22-year-old Hammond man died from a gunshot wound early Sunday morning, according to a news release from the Lake County Coroner's office.
The deceased, identified as Alan Lavelle Ross Jr., was involved in an incident at 140th Street and Pulaski Street in East Chicago's Indiana Harbor neighborhood. The coroner was dispatched to the scene at 2:43 a.m. He was pronounced dead at 4:17 a.m., the release said.
Other agencies involved include East Chicago Police Department and Lake County Crime Lab.
Check back at nwi.com for updates as they become available.
MUNSTER — Bands thrashed and craft beer lovers rejoiced at the hop-fueled, one-day mecca that is Dark Lord Day.
3 Floyds' annual craft beer-metal show mash-up drew the largest crowd yet on Saturday, Phil Funari, 3 Floyds' Northern Indiana Brewery representative, said.
“We released more tickets this year than ever before,” Funari said of the sold-out event.
Seven metal bands took the stage throughout the 12-hour fest, including High on Fire, Nuclear Assault, Sacred Reich, The Atlas Moth, Minsk, River Black and Canyon of the Skull. A smorgasbord of food trucks and vendors filled the space with smokey, savory smells and several beer tents featuring 3 Floyds' classics like Alpha King and Zombie Dust accommodated the winding lines of thirsty fans.
Even periods of pouring rain did little to dampen attendees as they weathered the storm. Some fans traveled across the state to get their exclusive Dark Lord brew to take home and revel in the festivities.
Matt Seguin came from Sarasota, Florida, dressed as "Lord of the Seven Kingdoms,” Robert Baratheon, from HBO's "Game of Thrones." When asked how many people have asked for photos, he responded, “one-hundred.”
“This is my second time here,” Seguin said, clutching a large drinking horn. “I love it because the people are really friendly. Everyone's here to have fun. It's always a good time.”
Some fans were first-timers, while others had been attending for more than a decade. Aaron Pigors celebrated his birthday with his 11th year at Dark Lord Day. Every year he nets bottles of Dark Lord to savor with others.
Ticket holders were each given a tote bag packed with four bottles of Dark Lord, a Russian-style imperial stout. Many variants of Dark Lord gave a twist to the renown brew, from the addition of vanilla beans and toasted coconut to being aged in tequila barrels.
“I love sharing my Dark Lord beers with family and friends on special occasions like house warmings, weddings — You name it,” Pigors said. “I always bring Dark Lord. People have come to expect it.”
Seguin wasn't the only one dressed to the occasion. Wearing massive horns sprouting from a spiked helmet, Kevin Meyer crafted a costume to look like the imposing Dark Lord mascot. Meyer has been attending since 2009, he said.
“The bigger it gets the better it gets, in my opinion,” Meyer said. “The bands always put on a great show.”
Funari said Dark Lord Day brings legions of people together every year.
“People from all over the world come here, which is a testament to the power of beer,” Funari said. “It's the ultimate social lubricant, and it's been that way for centuries. It's always brought people together. We can all rally around a beer and all of a sudden the world gets a lot smaller.”
The festival also brought together a variety of cuisine and drinks.
3 Floyds rolled out one-of-a-kind eats such as a Dark Lord Creamsicle, dipped in spiced chocolate, and 3 Floyds' smoky beef jerky. Dark Matter Coffee offered cups of cold roasts for attendees to get their second wind at a tent laden with psychedelic art.
Dark Matter Coffee has been a proud part of Dark Lord Day for five years, Kyle Hodges, Dark Matter Coffee's self-proclaimed “minister of propaganda,” said.
“We're the coffee equivalent— we take the same creative and quality approach as 3 Floyds,” Hodges said. “We've been fortunate enough to be a part of beer fests around the world all because of our initial participation in Dark Lord Day. We love it here. There's no other place to find this array of fanatics.”
The Brewers of Indiana Guild, a nonprofit group that represents independent brewers throughout the state, was there sharing in the spirit of craft brew fanfare.
“3 Floyds has done a great job in putting Indiana on the map when it comes to craft beer,” Leah Huelsebusch, member and owner of Taxman Brewing Co. in Bargersville, Indiana, said.
This year also marked the first year the distillery was open during Dark Lord Day, since it soft opened only a couple weeks before Saturday, Funari said.
“Dark Lord Day has grown to be incredible for both the brewery and the town, and really the whole surrounding area,” Funari said. “From bars, restaurants, hotels, even Uber drivers, there's a big trickle-down Dark Lord effect that's a great boon to the Region.”
ICYMI: Here are the most-read stories from the past week
GARY — An Indiana State Police trooper took two drunken driving suspects to jail early Saturday after a Hammond woman drove into the back of his car as he sat in it with a man he had previously pulled over.
Trooper Ala Hamed was parked facing south on the west shoulder near Broadway and 15th Avenue in Gary about 12:10 a.m. Saturday with his emergency lights activated when his squad was struck, police said.
The trooper was in his squad with Mario L. Rodriguez, 48, of Valparaiso, who he pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving, according to a news release.
Hamed heard what sounded like a car crashing when he looked in his rear-view mirror and saw a silver Chevrolet car sideswipe a parked, unoccupied 2016 Chevrolet van, ricochet off and hit the back of his squad, police said.
The impact pushed the squad into the rear of Rodriguez's 2005 Kia sedan.
Hamed asked Rodriguez if he was OK and went to check on the driver of the Chevrolet car, later identified as Ashley P. Brown, 36, of Hammond.
Brown tired to accelerate as the trooper approached, but her car was wedged into the back of the squad and her tires were spinning, police said.
Hamed ordered Brown out of the car at gunpoint, police said.
Medics checked the trooper, Rodriguez and Brown as a precaution.
Brown's alcohol content level was 0.13, while Rodriguez's was 0.16, police said.
CROWN POINT — A 14-year-old boy walking home from a barbershop April 25 attempted to duck and run when he found himself in the midst of a shootout between people two passing cars, but was struck down by a stray bullet, according to court court records.
Gary police and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested a man late Friday suspected of owning one of the cars involved and firing the shot that killed 14-year-old Arion Lilly, authorities said.
Anthony L. Triplett Jr., 20, of Gary, was taken into custody about 1 p.m. Friday after exiting an apartment in the 5800 block of Forest Court in the Lakeshore Dunes Apartments complex, said Mark Gregoline, supervisory inspector for the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Triplett initially attempted to run but then threw a gun to the ground, put up his hands and surrendered, Gregoline said.
Triplett was charged Friday in Lake Criminal Court with one count of murder.
Police think Lilly was an innocent bystander to the shootout between people in Triplett's car and a red Dodge Charger as they sped through the city's Tolleston neighborhood.
Lilly was a bright student who was just weeks away from graduating from middle school, Gary schools Superintendent Pete Morikis said.
After his death, his classmates at Gary Middle School shared stories of the eighth-grader they knew as a practical joker and "all-around very, very nice young man," Morikis said.
Anonymous tip led police to car
Gary police thanked the community for providing information about the case, which helped them secure charges.
More charges were expected, Cmdr. Jack Hamady said.
"With the help of the community, the Gary Police Department and law enforcement partners were able pursue the individuals responsible for this senseless murder and justice for Arion Lilly and his family," he said.
Police Chief Richard Allen said, "We continue to work with all involved in the furtherance of this case and bring an end to the senseless violence in our community."
Two days after the homicide, Gary police released a photo of a red Chevrolet Impala with a dent in the rear bumper and asked for tips about who might have been in it. They suspected the car had been involved in a chase that led to Lilly's shooting.
Two days after releasing the photo, police acted on an anonymous tip that the car was parked in the 300 block of Jay Street, which is where Triplett lives, Lake Criminal Court records say.
Police found a red Impala registered to Triplett under a tarp in the backyard. The car had a dent on the rear bumper and appeared to have a bullet hole near the driver's side rear door, records say.
Triplett's mother initially said the car had been parked on the property for three weeks, but later said she wasn't sure when her son left it there, records say.
The Lake County sheriff's Crime Scene Investigation Unit searched the car and found four live 9mm bullets and two spent bullet casings inside. One of those casings was fired from a .45-caliber gun and matched 20 other spent casings found on the ground near Lilly's body April 25, according to court records.
Teen tried to run as bullets flew
Surveillance video showed Lilly walking west on the north side of 11th Avenue. Just as he crossed Rutledge Street, the red Impala appeared to speed by while being chased by red Dodge Charger, records say.
A frame-by-frame analysis of the video showed the Impala was slightly past Lilly when the boy ducked and began running west on the sidewalk before collapsing.
Lilly died at the scene from a gunshot wound to his left lower back, according to court records.
His mother told police her son went to a barbershop and never returned. She had planned to report him missing, until she was told by others that she should speak to coroner's investigators and detectives, police said.
Police found 20 spent bullet casings to the east of Lilly's body and another four casings to the west of his body.
Hammond and Hobart police officers serving on the FBI's Gang Response Investigative Team helped analyze the video and Triplett's phone records, which showed he was in the area at the time of Lilly's homicide, according to court records.
A ballistics examiner with the Lake County Sheriff's Department determined that a bullet fragment recovered from Lilly's body and a casing from the scene were fired from a .45-caliber gun and had similar markings, but "could neither be identified nor excluded as having been fired from the same firearm."
The casings did have marks consistent with being fired from a .45-caliber Glock, records say. Police found a box for a .45-caliber Glock during a search of Triplett's home in on Jay Street.
The Marshals Service developed information Triplett was staying at the Lakeshore Dunes Apartment and began conducting surveillance before Triplett's arrest Friday, Gregoline said.
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CROWN POINT — Shrouded in the soft glow of countless blue lights, hundreds gathered Saturday…
