A 39-year-old man suspected in the fatal stabbing of a 33-year-old woman and the kidnapping of an 8-year-old boy in Chicago is in custody at an area hospital after leading police from several agencies on a pursuit Friday morning, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
An Amber Alert had been issued for 8-year-old Tristan Gaters overnight, saying he was last seen in a silver 2022 Ford Escape SUV driven by 39-year-old Marcus Bausley.
At around 9:30 a.m., Lake County Sheriff’s Department police officers were alerted by the department’s license plate reader system about the vehicle included in the Amber Alert.
At about 9:40 a.m., the LPR system located the vehicle at I-65 and U.S. 30 in Merrillville. Indiana State Police along with the Lake County Highway Interdiction and High Crime became engaged in a pursuit.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Aviation Unit assisted with tracking the vehicle from the air.
The fleeing driver headed south on I-65 and multiple police officers used an immobilization technique to box the suspect vehicle in and slow it to a stop. The suspect was ordered to exit the vehicle but refused while putting a knife to his neck.
The suspect was placed into custody then taken to a local emergency room for evaluation and treatment of a superficial wound to the neck and a wound to the abdomen.
In an update Friday night, Sheriff Oscar Martinez said the suspect remained at the hospital with wound to his abdomen. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department intends to file charges for resisting law enforcement, according to Martinez. Once charges are filed by the Chicago Police Department regarding crimes committed in Illinois, the suspect will be extradited.