Munster Stolen Car Recovered After Hobart Pursuit
On April 26, 2022 at approximately 5:00 PM, a Hobart Officer was on patrol and he received an alert on his computer from a license plate reader located in the area of Route 6 and Alabama Street, according to Hobart Police. The registered vehicle was a black KIA with an Illinois license plate and it was reported stolen through Munster Police Department on April 25, 2022. The Officer drove to the area of Route 6 and Alabama Street and noticed the a black KIA traveling westbound on Route 6 approaching Martin Luther King Drive.
The Officer caught up to the KIA and confirmed that the license plate on the vehicle matched the license plate of the vehicle that was reported stolen. The vehicle began to accelerate and the Officer activated his emergency lights and siren to signal the vehicle to pullover. The Officer reported that the vehicle continued to drive at a high rate of speed. The vehicle traveled west on Route 6 to Broadway and then turned onto Broadway and continued northbound on Broadway. The vehicle was recklessly swerving in and out of traffic as it traveled northbound on Broadway. The Hobart Officer allowed a Lake County Sheriff’s unit to take the lead on the pursuit, as the vehicle approached 80/94 westbound ramp, the Lake County Sheriff’s unit performed a PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver on the vehicle. The vehicle spun 180 degrees, and the vehicle was immobilized.
The Officers took the driver of the vehicle into custody, the front seat passenger was released at the scene and the juvenile backseat passenger was transported to the Hobart Police Department and subsequently released to his Uncle/ Guardian.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Earl Anthony Obrien, 18 years old and had a home address listed in Lansing. Obrien also had 2 active warrants for his arrest through Lake County for level 6 theft. Obrien is also facing additional charges through Lake County Prosecutor’s Office for level 6 fleeing law enforcement by a vehicle, level 6 auto theft and a misdemeanor charge for operating a vehicle while never being licensed.
