Gary- Two men are facing felony charges after police say a Gary homeowner discovered them hiding in his crawl space during an early morning burglary on the city’s west side.
According to court documents, around 1:20 a.m. on October 7, 2025, a homeowner reported that an older white Ford pickup truck had pulled into the driveway of his residence in the 4300 block of West 29th Avenue in Gary. He told investigators he received a notification from his security system and immediately called 911 before going to the property himself.
When he arrived, the homeowner found that a security camera had been removed and thrown, and his home — previously locked and secured — had been entered without permission.
Responding officers located the white Ford pickup truck in the driveway. With assistance from a K-9 unit, police searched the residence and found two men hiding inside the crawl space, later identified as Randall W. Syler of Gary and Joshua Evert Vinson of Hammond.
Investigators noted that a covering had been removed to access the crawl space, and the truck contained miscellaneous hand tools and random metal objects in the bed. The affidavit states that the men entered the home’s crawl space to remove and steal metal piping and other items from the residence .
Charges filed October 8, 2025:
Randall W. Syler
• Burglary of a Dwelling — Level 4 Felony
• Burglary — Level 5 Felony
• Residential Entry — Level 6 Felony
Joshua Evert Vinson
• Burglary of a Dwelling — Level 4 Felony
• Burglary — Level 5 Felony
• Residential Entry — Level 6 Felony
