A high-speed pursuit involving an Indiana State Police Mustang patrol vehicle ended Tuesday morning on Interstate 94 in Porter County with the arrest of an allegedly impaired driver and a passenger wanted on multiple warrants.

According to Sgt. Glen Fifield of the Indiana State Police, the pursuit began around 2:06 a.m. May 12 when Trooper Griffin observed a black Toyota speeding eastbound on I-80 near the 10 mile-marker in Gary. After accelerating to catch up, the trooper paced the vehicle at 110 mph in a posted 55 mph zone near Lake Station.

Police said the driver continued accelerating, reaching speeds of 133 mph as Trooper Griffin attempted to relay the license plate information to dispatch.

Trooper Griffin, operating a fully marked 2025 Ford Mustang patrol vehicle, activated his emergency lights and siren. The Toyota initially appeared to stop before suddenly changing lanes, accelerating back to approximately 120 mph, and turning off its exterior lights while continuing eastbound on I-94.

The pursuit continued into Porter County, where the vehicle allegedly weaved through light traffic at speeds reaching 135 mph. Officers with the Porter Police Department deployed stop sticks near the 21 mile-marker in an attempt to end the pursuit.

Police said the Toyota struck the stop sticks but continued fleeing, reaching speeds near 140 mph before the tires began to fail. The vehicle eventually lost multiple tires and came to a stop near the 26.4 mile-marker in the Chesterton area.

A felony stop was conducted and all four occupants were taken into custody without further incident.

The driver was identified as 20-year-old Carmela Maureen Pantoja of Elkhart. During the investigation, a Porter County Sheriff’s Office K9 reportedly alerted to the vehicle. Troopers later located multiple containers of alcohol and a small amount of suspected marijuana inside the Toyota.

According to police, Trooper Griffin observed signs of impairment and Pantoja failed several field sobriety tests. She later submitted to a certified breath test at the Porter County Jail, which allegedly measured her blood alcohol concentration at 0.09% around 3:55 a.m.

Pantoja was booked into the Porter County Jail on the following preliminary charges:

• Resisting Law Enforcement – Level 5 Felony
• Resisting Law Enforcement – Level 6 Felony
• Operating While Intoxicated Endangering – Class A Misdemeanor
• Possession of Marijuana – Class B Misdemeanor
• Operating While Intoxicated – Class C Misdemeanor
• Reckless Driving – Class C Misdemeanor
• Minor Consumption – Class C Misdemeanor

Police also arrested passenger Maliek M. Long, 23, of Elkhart, on multiple active warrants out of Elkhart County, including allegations of escape, resisting law enforcement, leaving the scene of a crash, and possession of marijuana.

The remaining two passengers were released at the scene.

Indiana State Police reminded the public that all criminal charges are merely accusations and all suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.