Michigan City Man Charged In 3 Different Cases Over A 7-Day Span Following Pursuit And Theft Investigations
Christopher James Redden, 30, of Michigan City, is charged in Porter County following incidents that occurred between November 21 and November 27, 2025, as outlined in three probable cause affidavits.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a Porter Police Department officer received a FLOCK automated license plate reader alert at approximately 4:07 a.m. on Nov. 23, 2025, for a stolen white Chevrolet pickup truck traveling westbound on Interstate 94 from Chesterton Weight Station. The truck was later observed near the 22-mile marker traveling approximately 90 miles per hour in a posted 70-mph zone. Dispatch confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Michigan City.
Court documents state that when emergency lights and siren were activated near the 16-mile marker, the vehicle accelerated to speeds of approximately 100 miles per hour. The affidavit says the driver made multiple unsafe lane movements, passed vehicles on the shoulder, disregarded traffic control devices, and continued westbound at high speed.
The pursuit continued into Illinois, where the Lake County Sheriff’s Department took over and later took the driver and a passenger into custody. The driver was identified as Christopher James Redden.The vehicle, a 2019 white Chevrolet Silverado, was later confirmed stolen by law enforcement.
In a separate case, Redden is charged in connection with a theft at Luke’s Gas Station in Valparaiso on Nov. 27, 2025.
According to a Porter County Sheriff’s Department affidavit, officers were dispatched after a clerk reported that a masked male entered the store, went into the restroom, and asked to purchase cigarettes. The clerk advised he went to the back to check inventory and, upon returning, observed the suspect behind the counter stealing multiple cartons of Marlboro cigarettes.
The suspect fled the store with approximately 10 to 15 cartons of cigarettes. Store inventory later confirmed approximately 14 cartons were stolen, with a total loss of $1,791.82, court documents state.
Court records also show investigators connected Redden to a theft at Virk’s Mart on Nov. 21, 2025, where a suspect entered the store and stole five bottles of liquor identified as tequila before leaving in a silver passenger car.
Investigators cited similarities in surveillance footage, vehicle characteristics, and physical identifiers when linking the Virk’s Mart theft to the Luke’s Gas Station incident. Court documents note Redden has prior theft convictions.
Charges Filed (By Incident Date)
November 21, 2025 – Virk’s Mart Theft
• Theft (Level 6 Felony – prior unrelated conviction)
November 23, 2025 – Stolen Vehicle Pursuit on I-94
• Resisting Law Enforcement (Level 5 Felony)
• Resisting Law Enforcement (Level 6 Felony)
• Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Level 6 Felony)
• Reckless Driving (Class C Misdemeanor)
• Reckless Driving (Class C Misdemeanor)
November 27, 2025 – Luke’s Gas Station Theft
• Theft (Level 6 Felony)
• Theft (Level 6 Felony – value at least $750)
