Hobart Man Charged After Gunpoint Robberies Target Pedestrians In Hammond
Ryan James Burbridge, 24, of Hobart, is facing felony charges in Lake County after police say he committed two armed robberies minutes apart in Hammond while driving a rented vehicle.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Hammond police investigated two separate armed robbery incidents that occurred on March 10, 2026, near the 1000 block of 165th Street and the 5400 block of Columbia Avenue.
Police said the first incident occurred around 1:08 a.m. near Maywood Elementary School, where a man reported he was walking on the sidewalk when a newer model blue sedan pulled up. A male exited the vehicle, pointed a handgun at him, and ordered him to the ground before taking approximately $40 in cash and his white Nike shoes. The suspect then struck him in the head with the handgun before fleeing the scene.
Approximately seven minutes later, officers were dispatched to another robbery near Columbia Avenue and Michigan Street. In that incident, a man told police a driver in a similar blue sedan pulled alongside him, pointed a handgun with an extended magazine, and demanded his backpack, which the victim handed over before the suspect fled.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from multiple locations, including a tire shop, which showed a blue Hyundai Elantra consistent with both incidents. The footage captured a lone driver interacting with one of the victims and leaving the area shortly after.
License plate reader data later identified the vehicle as a 2014 Hyundai Elantra with a Georgia registration tied to a rental company. Additional surveillance from a Citgo gas station showed a male matching the suspect’s description fueling the vehicle shortly before the robberies, wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, and a black Chicago White Sox cap worn backward.
Police tracked the vehicle to Hobart, where it was located outside a residence associated with Burbridge. Officers later conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and identified Burbridge as the sole occupant. He told police the vehicle was a rental in his name and that he was the only authorized driver.
During a search of the residence, officers located a handgun holster and ammunition inside a bedroom identified as belonging to Burbridge.
At the time of the report, police were still attempting to follow up with the second victim regarding the incident.
Charges filed March 27,2026:
• Armed Robbery — Level 3 Felony
• Battery By Means Of A Deadly Weapon — Level 5 Felony
• Intimidation — Level 5 Felony
• Pointing A Firearm At Another — Level 6 Felony
