East Chicago Armed Robbery Suspects Charged
On 12-26-19 at approximately 2:00 a.m. Officers were dispatched to Euclid Tap located at 3902 Euclid Avenue in reference to an armed robbery, according to Deputy Chief Jose Rivera of the East Chicago Police Department. Officers located a 24-year-old male victim from Hammond Indiana standing outside the bar. The victim advised the officer that he stepped out of the bar to have a cigarette when he noticed the window to his vehicle was busted out. While looking at his vehicle he was approached and attacked by two male blacks, Rivera said. One of the males tackled the victim to the ground and put him in a choke hold. The suspects then took the victims gun, which he had in his waistband and held him at gun point with his own gun and robbed him. The suspects then fled in a silver Ford Focus.
Officer Robert Medwetz who was patrolling the area observed a silver Ford Focus traveling the wrong way on a one way street near the robbery scene. Officer Medewetz conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver was identified as Brandon Smith (04-20-1997) of Gary Indiana and the passenger was identified as Emanuel O. Sims (06-09-1997) of Lynwood Illinois. The vehicle and occupants fit the description of the robbery suspects. The victim positively identified the occupants as the suspects who robbed him. A brick with glass on it was recovered from inside the suspect’s vehicle, as well Rivera stated.
Detective Carina Acevedo was assigned the robbery case on 12-26-19. On today’s date she was able to obtain the following charges on both suspects with the Lake County Prosecutors Office:
Armed Robbery (Level 3 Felony)
Intimidation (Level 5 Felony)
Criminal Confinement (Level 6 Felony)
Pointing a Firearm (Level 6 Felony)
Theft of a Firearm (Level 6 Felony)
Both suspects are in the custody of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. We will update with Mug Shots when they are released to us.
The last 3 incidents I have heard about have involved a silver car. The 19 yr old beaten in Hammond 2 weeks ago, and the two incidents in EC. I wonder if they are all inter-related.