A 15-year-old stole a red 2014 Toyota Corolla in Bloomington and led police on a chase into Marion County Wednesday, according to Bloomington Police Sgt. Dana Cole. The driver of the car was not caught, and the vehicle has not been recovered.
A 61-year-old woman told police she had parked her vehicle in a fire lane at the S. College Mall Rd Kroger around 2:01 p.m. to rent a movie from the Red Box kiosk in on the outside the market on the north end. The woman told police she’d left the unlocked car running, with the keys in it, and when she turned around the car was being driven away north in the parking lot.
The woman called the police to report her car stolen, and soon a Bloomington Police Department officer saw the car on College Mall road. The officer got behind the car and put on their lights, and the car began to accelerate. Eventually the car turned onto the Ind. 45/46 bypass, and the car was pursued at it then entered I-69. Thus began a chase involving three vehicles from the Bloomington Police Department.
The BPD vehicle were authorized to leave the city and pursue the suspect who drove the car at speeds often exceeding 100 mph in wet conditions on I-69. The pursuit entered Morgan County, and then Johnson County, and police eventually gave up in Marion County, over 40 minutes later.
Several police agencies attempted to assist the BPD and stop sticks were set up on several occasions but were unsuccessful in stopping the car.
Sgt. Cole reported to the Bloomingtonian that there were no accidents, no damage to any vehicles, or injuries during the pursuit, and as the driver of the stolen car began to enter the more densely populated Indianapolis metro area, the chase was terminated for safety reasons.
Later the BPD learned that the Black male who was driving the car is a 15-year-old who told a person during the chase that he intended to return to Ohio, where he’s already on probation. Police did not know the identity of the suspect at the time of the chase.
When the suspect is caught, they will be facing juvenile charges of resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony; vehicle theft, level 6 felony; driving without a license, and reckless driving, both c misdemeanors.
Police made the decision to give up the chase considering the nature of the crime, a property theft, and that the suspect had not tried to harm the officers giving chase, according to Sgt. Cole.
