Two Men Charged After Christmas Day Police Pursuit and Gun Recovery
Jared Tomas Gonzalez, 25, of Gary, and Terrell Zair Samuels, 20, of East Chicago, are facing felony charges following a Christmas Day police pursuit that began in Griffith and ended with a crash in Gary, according to court documents.
According to the probable cause affidavits, at approximately 2:28 a.m. on December 25, 2025, a Griffith police officer was parked in a fully marked patrol vehicle near the 800 block of East Ridge Road when he observed a maroon 2009 Honda CR-V traveling eastbound without its taillights or license plate lights activated. The officer reported the vehicle was occupied by two Black male subjects wearing hooded sweatshirts, both leaning back in their seats as they passed the patrol vehicle.
The officer followed the vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop near the intersection of East Ridge Road and North Glenwood Street. The affidavits state the driver briefly activated the brake lights before continuing eastbound. Emergency lights and a siren were then activated, but the vehicle fled, leading officers on a pursuit through multiple intersections.
Court records state the vehicle traveled at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour, disregarded a four-way stop sign at Ridge Road and Clark Street, and ran a red traffic signal at Chase Street. The pursuit continued into Gary, where the vehicle reached speeds of approximately 98 miles per hour. While attempting to turn northbound onto Richard Gordon Hatcher Boulevard (Grant Street), the driver lost control and crashed into a utility pole, disabling the vehicle.
After the crash, officers ordered the occupants to remain inside the vehicle and show their hands. The affidavits state both subjects exited the front seats and moved into the back seat of the vehicle. One subject placed his hands against the rear driver’s-side window, while another extended his hands out of the rear passenger-side window holding a cellphone.
One subject was detained at the rear passenger side and identified as Terrell Zair Samuels by his Indiana identification card and his own admission. The second subject was detained at the rear driver’s side and identified as Jared Tomas Gonzalez by his Indiana driver’s license and his own admission. Officers observed Gonzalez had blood coming from his nose and mouth area, and medics were requested to the scene.
Both men were detained, searched, and read their Miranda rights individually. The affidavits state officers asked whether there were any firearms inside the vehicle, but neither subject responded.
Police determined that neither Samuels nor Gonzalez was the registered owner of the Honda CR-V. After the vehicle was towed, an inventory search was conducted pursuant to department policy. During the search, officers recovered two Glock .40-caliber handguns from the front floorboards of the vehicle.
One firearm, a Glock Model 23 Gen 4, was located on the driver’s-side floorboard with a live round chambered and a loaded magazine inserted. Officers reported the handgun was equipped with an auto sear modification, commonly referred to as a “switch,” which converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun. A second firearm, a Glock Model 35 Gen 4, was recovered from the passenger-side floorboard and was also equipped with an auto sear modification.
Officers also recovered a clear bag containing approximately 9.9 grams of a brown and green plant-like substance from beneath the driver’s seat, which field-tested positive for marijuana. Two cellphones were recovered from inside the vehicle and were identified by the defendants as belonging to them.
The affidavits state Samuels told officers he did not know who owned the vehicle, stating, “I don’t know some girl’s.” Both Samuels and Gonzalez declined to provide further statements. Court records state that both males had denied being the driver of the Honda during this incident, and investigators collected airbags and windshield evidence for possible DNA analysis.
Both men were transported to a Gary hospital for medical evaluation before being taken to the Lake County Jail. Investigators later reviewed social media videos depicting a male believed to be Samuels displaying a Glock handgun with a switch modification. Court records also state Samuels had an active out-of-state arrest warrant for a weapons offense at the time of the incident.
Both suspects are lodged in the Lake County Jail.
Charges filed on December 26,2025:
• Possession of a Machine Gun – Level 5 Felony
• Resisting Law Enforcement Using a Vehicle – Level 6 Felony
