Hammond Man Arrested In Stolen SRT After Pursuit
Around 8 PM, on February 17, 2025, a Lake County Sheriff Officer on patrol near State Line & Highland St in Hammond were alerted via Hammond’s BlueNet License Plate Readers to a vehicle with fictitious plates.
While the officer was in the area checking they encountered a Jeep SRT with Hawaii license plates that failed to stop at a stop sign. The vehicle took off at a high rate of speed and the Sheriff Officer pursued the vehicle down State Line to 165th. The pursuit then went westbound into Illinois before crashing near the intersection of River Oaks Dr & Burnham in Calumet City.
The driver was immediately taken into custody after the crash and transported to a hospital to be evaluated for injuries.
The vehicle was found to be stolen out of Chicago from a valet service at a hotel on September 24, 2024. Inside the vehicle officers located a purse with a large amount of money, 2 cell phones, and Glock handgun.
The driver now identified as Joseph Rivera, 25, of Hammond was found to have a suspended license as well.
Rivera was charged with:
Resisting Law Enforcement Using A Vehicle – Level 6 Felony
Auto Theft – Level 6 Felony
Rivera has a previous pursuit arrest in January of 2021 where all those charges were dismissed in Lake County.
