CROWN POINT — A man pleaded guilty and was sentenced the same day following a 2019 carjacking and struggle with a police dog during a foot pursuit.
On Tuesday, Eddie M. Bass, 23, of Phoenix, Illinois, pleaded guilty to auto theft, resisting law enforcement and striking a law enforcement animal, according to Lake Superior Court records.
Bass was sentenced to a total of 42 months in jail.
Following the auto theft in 2019, Bass and two others — Brendan A. Beasley, 17, of Riverdale, and Adrian M. White, 21, of Chicago — each faced charges of armed robbery, auto theft and resisting law enforcement, court records said.
At 11 p.m. Nov. 17, 2019, officers responded to a gas station in the 2100 block of U.S. 41 in Schererville, police said. A man told police he had been robbed of his Dodge Charger by at least two males with a gun.
The suspects arrived in a white minivan and one of the suspects pointed a gun at his head and demanded his keys, police said.
The person driving the stolen Charger struck the back bumper of the white minivan before both vehicles headed north on U.S. 41, police said.
A Schererville police officer saw both vehicles in the 700 block of U.S. 41 and attempted to stop them, but the driver sped north on U.S. 41. The officer continued to pursue the Charger, losing sight of the white minivan, police said.
The person driving the Charger struck two other passing cars on Cabela's Drive in Hammond, causing one of the passing drivers to be taken to a local hospital.
After the crash, Bass, Beasley and White fled on foot. A Hammond police dog tracked White to a nearby hotel and Beasley was arrested near the Cabela's store.
Bass was caught by Schererville police dog Bosco. Bass was accused of attempting to drown Bosco after he and the dog fell into a pond during a struggle near the Cabela's store, police said. Following the incident, Bosco was taken to a veterinarian and suffered no major injuries.
Beasley’s next hearing is scheduled for May 19 and online court records did not have an updated date for White’s next court hearing.