March 17--Boy wounded in Gary shooting
A boy visiting a friend around 11 p.m. Monday was shot by someone in a silver vehicle passing by, according to Gary Police Lt. Thomas Pawlak. The friend pulled him inside the house and called police.
When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood to the residence, where they found the boy with a gunshot wound in the left side of his chest. He was taken to Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary.
Calls to the hospital went unanswered Tuesday.
Anyone with information should contact Sgt. Michael Barnes of the Gary Police Violent Crimes Unit at 219-881-7434.
Police officer dodges SUV headed toward him: report
A Gary man who was asleep behind the wheel of a crashed SUV has been charged with attempted battery by means of a deadly weapon and three counts of resisting law enforcement involving the police officer who tried to assist him.
According to a police report, Dolton J. Pippins tried to run over Gary police Patrolman Rashawn Woods, who was called shortly before 5 a.m. March 12 to the 500 block of Vermont Street in Gary to check on a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe that had crashed into a Saturn in front of the home.
Woods stood on the passenger side running board to check on Pippins, who was asleep behind the wheel with the engine still running, records state. Woods woke Pippins and identified himself as a police officer. Instead of shutting off the engine and getting out of the SUV as directed, Pippins accelerated with Woods still on the passenger side step, records state.
Woods jumped from the SUV as it started moving and then had to jump out of the way as the SUV headed toward him, records state.
Pippins drove south on Vermont Street to the 600 bock, then swerved and struck a tree in the front yard of a home at 645 Vermont St., at a high rate of speed.
Woods ran down the street, opened the driver's side door and used his Taser to take Pippins into custody, records state. Woods' right leg was injured during the incident.
While following up with a resident in the 500 block, Woods learned the SUV had struck the Saturn and a Kia Spectra.
Pippins, 34, of the 4400 block of East 13th Avenue, has warrants for a battery case in Lake Superior Court and a Lake Station City Court case.
Alleged robbery scheme ends with charges for man, 18
A man who told his friend he wanted to rob a marijuana dealer last month has been charged with attempted murder and other felonies after the woman who gave him a ride was critically injured.
Tyler Lamont Steffey, 18, of the 1100 block of West 72nd Circle, is accused of shooting the woman, who had agreed to give him a ride to the marijuana in exchange for gas money, records state.
While they sat in the parking lot at a gas station on 15th Avenue and Chase Street in Gary, Steffey asked the woman about a handgun she had stolen, which he said he wanted to use the gun to rob the "white weed dealer," the probable cause affidavit states. The woman retrieved the gun from her sister's house in Hammond.
While they were waiting for the marijuana dealer to arrive and smoking a cigarette, Steffey directed the woman to an alley in the 900 block of Chase Street. After waiting about an hour for the dealer, they concluded he wasn't coming. After that, the woman told police that everything went blank and she woke up on the ground, bloody, and began crawling, the affidavit states.
A witness told police the injured woman came to the back door of a house in the 900 block of Chase Street, walked through the home and went outside to the front steps.
The woman was shot in the face and the chest. She was transferred from Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus to an Illinois medical center for treatment.
After the shooting, the victim's sister said Steffey sent her a text that the woman had never picked him up, records state.
In addition to attempted murder, Steffey was charged in Lake Superior Court with aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, auto theft and misdemeanor theft.
Demotte man charged in New Chicago robbery
A man who walked in on a robbery at a New Chicago convenience store was able to provide police with a license plate number of the SUV that was driven from the scene.
The witness told police when he walked into 7 Elephants, 2930 DeKalb St., he saw items on the counter moving and heard a struggle. When he heard someone shout, "Give me the (expletive) money," he ran from the store, got into his car, drove across the street and called 911, the probable cause affidavit states. The witness saw a man leave the store and jump into a rusted, white Jeep Cherokee with a black primer front fender on the passenger side. As the SUV drove from the store, the man noted the license plate, which police traced to the girlfriend of Jason M. Bloch, who had loaned him the vehicle.
Boch, 38 of Demotte, was charged in Lake Superior Court with attempted robbery resulting in bodily injury, attempted armed robbery, robbery resulting in body injury and armed robbery in the incident, reported at 1:14 p.m. March 11.
When police arrested Bloch in Chicago on March 13, he appeared to have been wearing the victim's blue Nike sweatshirt, which had what appeared to be blood droplets on it, the affidavit states.
Probation sentence for man in theft
A Gary man was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months on probation for theft.
Garland Henry McGhee III, 20, must pay $250 in restitution to the victim. In court, McGhee admitted he and another man stole a television, several silver-colored rings and assorted jewelry in 2015 from a Merrillville residence.
McGhee had faced two to 12 years on a burglary charge, which was dismissed.
Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas told McGhee if he completes the terms of his probation with no violations, he can ask the judge to reduce his felony conviction to a misdemeanor.
Man faces 10 to 30 years in robbery
A robbery charge was filed against a Gary man who told police he was attacked last month in his home and his television stolen.
Kevin Scott Bridgewater, 24, of 830 W. 39th Ave., was charged in Lake Superior Court with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony punishable by 10 to 30 years.
The victim told police Bridgewater showed up at his home at about 1 a.m. Feb. 24 in the 1000 block of West 35th Avenue. After they talked, the man said he stood up to put his jacket on to take Bridgewater where he wanted to go. Bridgewater kept asking the man why he left Kevin, the probable cause affidavit states. When the man tried to respond, Bridgewater asked the same question over and over, then stood up and hit him in the face as he was sitting on the couch, the affidavit states.
The man tried to stand up, but Bridgewater pushed him down, hit him again in the face and kicked him in the ribs with his boots, the affidavit states. When he tried to get up, both men fell down and broke a glass table, records state. Bridgewater picked up a broken shard of glass, pointed it at him and ordered him into his bedroom. When the man came out of the bedroom, Bridgewater had stolen his television and left the apartment.
The man was hospitalized for four days at Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary for treatment of his injuries which included 12 stitches for a cut on his left ear, a cut on the bridge of his nose and a facial bone fracture.
Stabbing brings charges against Hobart woman
A charge of battery by means of a deadly weapon was filed against a Hobart woman who is accused of stabbing her stepfather with a steak knife.
Catherine Patrice Alexander, 31, got into an argument with her stepfather regarding her drug use and financial issues on March 9 at the family home in the 4100 block of Harms Road, documents state. Alexander's mother told police she warned her husband that Alexander had gotten a knife from downstairs and was coming back upstairs, the probable cause affidavit states. While the mother barricaded herself in her bedroom, the argument continued, the probable cause affidavit states.
The man told Alexander she needed to leave the residence, and she responded by stabbing him in the chest, the affidavit states.
The knife struck the man's sternum and didn't further penetrate his chest, records state.
In a statement to police, Alexander acknowledged she stabbed her stepfather but that it was only a butter knife and she was trying to defend herself, records state.
