Officers from the Chesterton Police Department Sunday evening successfully apprehended a suspect involved in a string of thefts and felony frauds after a pursuit that began after the suspect vehicle fled from a traffic stop.
While patrolling near Dickinson Road and Porter Avenue, officers received a Flock License Plate Reader (LPR) alert identifying a vehicle connected to multiple thefts and associated felony frauds.
The suspect’s vehicle, bearing an expired license plate, was observed traveling north on Dickinson Road. The suspect then turned west onto Porter Avenue and north on State Road 49. Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on this vehicle near Indian Boundary Road and State Road 49, but the suspect failed to pull over and fled north towards Interstate 94.
The suspect continued to flee from officers, traveling westbound on I-94. An officer with the
Porter Police Department successfully deployed Stop Sticks on the vehicle near the 21-mile marker, which caused the vehicle’s two front tires to deflate. The suspect came to a rolling stop at the 20-mile marker, where officers were able to take the driver, 28-year-old Courtney Barnes, of Gary, Indiana into custody without further incident.
Barnes was charged with resisting law enforcement and reckless driving. Barnes also had active warrants for his arrest out of Will County, Illinois for theft. Barnes is currently at the Porter County Jail on a $5,000 cash only bond.
Police say Barnes is a suspect in numerous thefts from vehicles and credit card fraud cases in the Duneland Area over the past several weeks. Detective/Corporal Arwen LaMotte has been investigating those cases reported in Chesterton and was able to speak with Barnes the evening of his arrest. Additional charges against Barnes are anticipated.
The Chesterton Police Department are asking anyone who may have information related to the rash of thefts from vehicles, to include any home security footage, to contact Corporal Arwen LaMotte at (219) 926-1136.