Highland Man Accused Of Shooting Woman In Garage, Arrested After I-80 Pursuit Into Illinois
HIGHLAND— A Highland man was taken into custody after police say he shot a woman inside a residential garage on Sandalwood Drive and then led officers on a chase onto I-80 into Illinois, where his vehicle crashed and he surrendered.
According to court documents, the woman drove herself to the front lot of the Highland Police Department and reported she had been shot. Investigators documented four apparent bullet holes in the Ford Escape’s front windshield and an apparent exit hole in the rear windshield. The woman sustained apparent gunshot wounds to both forearms and the right side/back area. She told investigators the incident began at a motel in Merrillville during a verbal argument; later, after she returned home and closed the garage, the man appeared in the doorway and began firing into her vehicle. She also recounted receiving a phone call in which he said, “today is a good day to die” and that she “would be famous” today.
Investigators relayed the suspect’s vehicle location to responding units. A marked Highland patrol initiated a pursuit after the red Jeep Compass allegedly failed to stop at a sign and continued westbound on Highway Avenue, turning through neighborhood streets before entering I-80 westbound. The vehicle exited toward Torrance Avenue in Illinois, struck a median, and crashed. The driver surrendered and was transported to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn for injuries from the crash. He was identified as George Black.
A search warrant on the woman’s vehicle yielded apparent blood consistent with her injuries; no firearm or ammunition was recovered from the vehicle. A later search at the Sandalwood Drive residence documented multiple live .44 Special rounds on the main bedroom bed and floor, four spent casings, two live rounds, a bullet on the garage floor beneath an interior garage-door indent, and an empty handgun case associated with a .44-caliber revolver.
Charges filed September 19,2025
• Attempted Murder – Attempted intentional killing of another (Level 1 Felony)
• Aggravated Battery – Results in loss or impairment of a bodily function (Level 3 Felony)
• Aggravated Battery – Posing a substantial risk of death (Level 3 Felony)
• Domestic Battery – Resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 5 Felony)
• Domestic Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon (Level 5 Felony)
