A juvenile has been arrested in connection to a shooting and an incident of arson, the Michigan City Police Department said.
On the morning of Jan. 26, dispatch received a call regarding gunshots being heard in the area of East Michigan Boulevard and Vail Street. The same gunshots were also heard by an officer at the police station who was able to determine a more precise location of the 200 block of Poplar Street. Officers arrived in the area and located a Poplar Street residence with a wide-open entrance door. Several bullet casings were seen behind the residence in the alleyway.
Officers located the residents of the home, and it was reported that a male suspect had forced his way inside and fired multiple shots from a handgun. Evidence of this taking place was visible to the officers at the scene. The MCPD Investigative Division and the members of the LaPorte County Drug Task Force responded to the residence to assist with the investigation. No one in the residence was injured.
The suspect was identified as a then 15-year-old. Information was received that indicated the boy had left town after the incident but would return to the area periodically. The search for him continued until Monday afternoon when the juvenile was spotted inside a vehicle while traveling in the area of US 20 and Hitchcock. A traffic stop was initiated, and the juvenile was taken into custody without incident. He was charged with felony burglary, criminal recklessness and a misdemeanor charge of dangerous possession of a firearm.
Additionally, an unrelated arson investigation that was reported to the Michigan City Police Department on Sept. 4, 2022. Evidence was collected during that investigation and probable cause was established to make an arrest on the same juvenile for felony arson. The juvenile was immediately transported to the LaPorte County Juvenile Services Center following their arrest.
The Michigan City Police Department would ask that anyone with information about these cases to contact Cpl. Pliske at (219) 874-3221 Ext. 1086 or Sgt. Sopher at Ext. 1049.