Lake County – On May 30, 2026, at approximately 12:05 a.m., an Indiana State Police trooper was conducting speed enforcement on Interstate 94 near the Burns Harbor exit when a Mercedes SUV was observed traveling 90 miles per hour. The trooper initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle; however, after the Mercedes initially came to a complete stop, the driver fled the scene at a high rate of speed. The suspect vehicle accelerated to approximately 130 miles per hour while continuing eastbound on I‑94.
The vehicle then entered an active construction zone beginning at the 29 mile-marker, which is 3 miles east of the Chesterton exit, and continued through the 39 mile-marker, where workers were present. Upon exiting the construction zone, the Mercedes sustained a front right tire blowout. The driver attempted to exit I‑94 at the 40 mile-marker onto U.S. 20 west when the trooper performed a successful Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT), bringing the vehicle to a stop.
The driver fled on foot but was apprehended shortly afterward with assistance of a Michigan City Police Department K9. The suspect, identified as Joshua Centeno, 33, from Chicago, Illinois, was taken into custody without further incident. Centeno sustained injuries consistent with a K9 bite as well as a knee injury incurred while fleeing. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed marijuana. Further investigation determined that Centeno had no valid driver’s license and was wanted on an active felony warrant out of Lake County.
Centeno was transported to the Porter County Jail where he was preliminarily charged with the following offenses:
Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle – Prior Conviction, Level 4 Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle – Creating Substantial Risk of Injury, Level 5 Felony
Reckless Driving in a Highway Worksite (Workers Present) – Class A Misdemeanor
Criminal Recklessness – Class A Misdemeanor
False Government Issued Identification – Class A Misdemeanor
Criminal Mischief – Class B Misdemeanor
Possession of Marijuana – Class B Misdemeanor
Reckless Driving – Class C Misdemeanor
The active warrant out of Lake County, Indiana, was for the following offenses:
Possession of Cocaine – Level 6 Felony
False Identity Statements – Class A Misdemeanor
All charges are preliminary, and final charges will be determined by the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office.
