Munster Officers Make A Weapon Arrest After An Odor Of Marijuana Alerted Them To A Vehicle With A Child In It
On March 5, 2025, at approximately 10:09 PM, Munster Police Officers from the Crime Suppression Unit were patrolling on the 900 block of Ridge Road, when officers observed a tan Chevrolet Malibu deviate and enter the inside turn lane on Ridge Road and Columbia Avenue. The officers observed the Chevrolet Malibu to have a non-functioning license plate light.
After the officers got directly behind the Chevrolet Malibu, the odor of burnt marijuana grew stronger. The vehicle then turned north on Columbia Avenue. The vehicle activated its right turn signal, and pulled over on the roadway. The vehicle then stalled in its location, turned off its turn signal, remained stationary with no indicating lights, but eventually activated the hazard lights on the vehicle.
Due to the non-functioning license plate light and the possibility of the vehicle being disabled, officers activated their emergency lights. According to court documents, the Officer approached the driver side of the vehicle and encountered the driver, later identified as Dion Randle- El.
The suspect was asked about his vehicle, and he stated that he had a bad battery. Due to the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, the officer asked Randle-El to exit the vehicle. Randle-El admitted that he and the passenger had just finished smoking and put it out. The officer also observed a one-year-old passenger in a car seat in the back seat.
According to court documents, the officers conducted a search of the vehicle and observed the handle to a black and gold semi-automatic gun under the driver seat. The handgun was removed from the vehicle and was identified as a Glock 43. While inspecting the firearm for the serial number, the Officer observed the serial number on the slide to be purposely scratched off and obliterated. Additionally, the officer looked in a secondary location for the serial number and that serial number was also obliterated.
The suspect Dion Randle -El is currently lodged in the Lake County Jail. Dion Randle-El has been charged with:
Possession of an Altered Firearm: F5 Felony
