Suspect sought in pursuit involving stolen squad car

By STAN MADDUX
Tribune Correspondent - December 10, 2002

LAPORTE, IN -- A suspect in a St. Joseph County burglary led 
police on a high-speed chase Monday and, after fleeing on 
foot, took off again in a North Liberty police squad car
into LaPorte County.

The pursuit continued into the city of LaPorte, where the 
suspect apparently made a clean getaway on a bicycle he stole 
from a residence where he parked the squad car after
losing police. 

About 10 a.m., about 50 armed officers from various agencies
converged outside the residence at 2113 Woodlawn Drive.
They waited about two hours before going inside to find
the two-story home empty.

As an Indiana State Police helicopter circled the area, 
LaPorte City Police Chief Walter Brath said, "We're just 
trying to regroup and find out where this guy went."

Maj. Robert Finn with the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Dept. 
said county police were called to a burglary in progress
in the 62700 block of Orange Road.

The suspect's vehicle in the burglary was a blue van, 
which had been reported stolen earlier in the day
from Brookfield Street.

A North Liberty police officer responding to assist with
the burglary saw the van in the area of New and Strawberry
roads, northwest of North Liberty, and gave chase.

North Liberty Police Chief Steve Michael said that officer, 
along with an officer from St. Joseph County, pursued the 
van to St. Anthony Catholic Church at 7732 E. Indiana 4 in
Fish Lake, where the suspect bailed out.

According to Michael, the North Liberty officer chased the
suspect on foot around the church.

The suspect, though, ran back and took off in the squad car, 
which still had the keys in the ignition and contained a
shotgun, Michael said.

"He circled back, got in the car and drove off," Michael said.

The officer called for assistance and said he last saw the 
suspect driving south on County Road 800 East from Indiana 4.

At that time, LaPorte County police picked up the pursuit and
chased the car into the city of LaPorte at speeds up to 110 mph, 
Finn said.

LaPorte Assistant Police Chief Geoff Weliver said the suspect 
entered the city limits on Indiana 104 then proceeded on 
some other roads before entering the city again on the
south side on U.S. 35.

After veering down a side street, Weliver said police lost 
sight of the suspect.

He wound up parking the squad car in an attached garage 
on Woodlawn Drive and entered the home where he called 
TransPorte, the city's public transportation system.

The suspect asked for a cab to come by and take him to Fish Lake,
Brath said.

For whatever reason, the TransPorte dispatcher became suspicious 
and advised police to go to the residence, which was not occupied 
at the time.

The squad car was in the garage when police arrived 15 or 
20 minutes after first losing sight of the man, Weliver said.

"Whoever was working the TransPorte radio was pretty alert 
to tell us that some guy was calling from the residence for
a cab," Brath said.

Not knowing if he was still inside, officers placed a telephone 
inside the residence for the suspect to establish communications 
with police.

After not hearing back from the suspect, officers in protective 
gear from Indiana State Police and LaPorte City police 
accompanied by dogs went inside and searched the house.

Weliver said the suspect may have fled on a bicycle and 
changed into a yellow coat and red tennis shoes because 
those were among the items reporting missing from the 
residence.

"It looks like he may have left the house we thought he 
was in between the time we got the call he was here and 
the time we got here," Weliver said at the scene.

Homes closest to the residence were vacated until police 
determined the suspect was gone. The homes were later 
searched as a precaution to make sure the man wasn't 
hiding in those locations.

The state police helicopter also made passes over nearby
Beechwood Golf Course after police received reports of a 
single set of footprints on the snow-covered grounds.

Weliver said the name of the suspect is known and a warrant 
will be sought for the man's arrest.

His identity will be withheld until the court authorizes charges,
Weliver said.


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