Hobart Burglary Suspect Caught One At Large
UPDATE –
On March 7, 2020 around 11am Hobart Police were called to the 3800 block of Sandusky St in reference to two suspicious males wearing hoodies exiting a residence. Witnesses stated they saw a female in a SUV drop two suspects off at the house in which the witnesses knew the resident of the home was not there. Witnesses told police they saw two male suspects coming out of the residence with duffel bags and a TV while the SUV continued circling the area.
Hobart Police began to search the area and found a male running near 37th & Evergreen. According to an Affidavit the male now identified as James Paul Mitchell II told police he was being chased for an unknown reason. Police detained Mitchell and brought him back to the scene where witnesses identified him as one of the suspects leaving the house. Further investigation showed the home to have forced entry and damage to the door frame and forced entry. The home owner who was released from The Kimbrough Center on March 6 was not staying at her home but a hotel due to the electricity being shut off. The homeowner came back home to find police already there. She told police many items were missing from the home including multiple safes and keys.
While Police were talking to the homeowner she received a call from a neighbor that they were following the alleged female and SUV in Gary that was circling the neighborhood. Police were able to find the suspected vehicle in Gary and curbed it according to the affidavit. The female driver who police learned was the sister to Mitchell stated she had just dropped her brother off near Sandusky & 37th in Lake Station and her brother told her to pick him up shortly after. She later confessed to knowing about the burglaries and wanted nothing to do with it stating they were stupid.
Another witness and the homeowner later found one of the suspects who they believed to be involved in the burglary at a gas station at 37th & Sandusky in Lake Station. The witness & homeowner confronted the suspect and told him to get into the truck. They told him to show them where the belongings stolen were according to the affidavit. The suspect brought them to a shed nearby where most of the victims items were located. The suspect left from there since they believed they had found all of the belongings missing.
After the victim learned of Mitchell’s involvement in the burglary by police, she told police she recently received a friend request on Facebook from Mitchell. The victim then told Police while looking at Mitchell’s Facebook friends the victim found and identified the other suspect who they found at the gas station earlier and received her stolen items back from. Police identified that suspect through pictures who was later learned to be the boyfriend of the female driver of the SUV. That suspect now identified as Christopher Russell who is still at large and wanted.
Police also learned during the course of the investigation that the two suspects had broken into the same house the previous day and stole items which were later recovered at Mitchell’s sister home, the female driver of the SUV.
Currently Mitchell’s sister has not been charged with any crimes but may be charged later, according to Hobart Police Captain James Gonzales. James Paul Mitchell II is in custody at the Lake County Jail charged with Burglary Level 4 Felony and Christopher Lee Russell has an active warrant for his arrest and police are trying to get him in custody. If anyone knows the whereabouts of Mr. Russell, please contact 9-1-1 or you can contact Detective Houck at shouck@cityofhobart.org or at his desk phone @ 219-942-4399.
The Hobart Police Department commends the observant neighbor who noticed the suspects at his neighbors house and he knew they shouldn’t have been there. Gonzales also wants to acknowledge the other neighbors who assisted with identifying and apprehending the suspects. This is a perfect example of how a community works together for the common good of their fellow neighbors. Due to the neighbors involvement, officers were able to immediately take the burglary suspects into custody and recover the items taken from the victim’s home.
Gonzales encourages all residents that if they notice or see something suspicious in their neighborhood to call 911 and to document everything they see, such as the description of the suspect(s) and or the suspect(s) vehicle. If you notice any suspicious drug activity, you can report it to 219-942-4485 and leave a message, or police can be contacted via instant message through The Hobart Police Facebook Page.
