Latest news with #MerrillvilleFireDepartment
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Lakes of the Four Seasons man charged with theft from Merrillville Fire Department
A Lakes of the Four Seasons man charged in January with stealing a police military vehicle has a new warrant out on him for stealing money from the Merrillville Fire Department. The fire department in March 2024 took one of its fire trucks to Hoosier Diesel and Off-Road, 9070 Louisiana St. in Merrillville, for preventative maintenance, Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Glenn Fifield said in a release Thursday. The shop owner, David Matthew Shephard-Hambrick, told the department that pieces of metal were found in the oil and that it would require extensive repair, Fifield said. Shephard-Hambrick told fire administrators the estimate for a new engine would be approximately $60,000 and then requested an advance payment for a new engine in the amount of $43,705.80, for which the town of Merrillville cut a check March 22, 2024, Fifield said. For the next year, Shephard-Hambrick told the fire department there was an issue with one company building the new engine, but he would be able to get one from another company, Fifield said. By February, the department discovered Shephard-Hambrick never ordered the new engine, at which point it had the fire truck towed to another repair shop. That repair shop discovered that not only did the truck not need a new engine, but that Shephard-Hambrick did little-to-no work on the engine at all, Fifield said. The second shop then completed the maintenance and charged the town around $10,000, he said. The Lake County Prosecutor's office, as a result of the ISP's investigation, has charged Shephard-Hambrick, 42, with theft, a Level 6 felony, Fifield said. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Merrillville Town Council President Rick Bella didn't respond to a request for comment by press time. Merrillville Police Chief Kosta Nuses in January asked the Indiana State Police to investigate after they discovered Shepard-Hambrick took a police MRAP home, the Post-Tribune previously reported. Cops responded at 11:18 a.m. on Oct. 4 to his house. He told cops he took employees to his home because he had to move his stuff. Nuses told ISP Shepard-Hambrick's company didn't end up working on the vehicle; it was serviced somewhere else. The armored vehicles – a personnel carrier meant to better protect troops against roadside bombs – were introduced during the Iraq War.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
Two men arrested after reckless driving, carjacking and crash in NW Indiana: police
The Brief Two men were arrested in Merrillville on Feb. 14 after a reckless driving spree, carjacking at knifepoint, and a crash on US 30. After carjacking a black Acura, the suspects fled but were tracked down by footprints and K9 assistance, eventually turning up at the Merrillville Fire Department, where they were arrested. Cain Knaus and Stephanie Raices face multiple charges, including armed robbery and auto theft, with Knaus also having an active parole violation warrant. MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - Two men are behind bars after a reckless driving spree, armed carjacking, and crash that led to a foot chase on Friday, authorities said. What we know Indiana State Police initially responded to reports of a reckless driver on I-65 southbound from I-80/I-94. The vehicle was reportedly seen swerving at high speeds between the left and right shoulders, nearly colliding with several cars. Troopers later received reports of a silver Honda that had crashed near the US 30 ramp. After the crash, two suspects exited the vehicle and approached other drivers who had stopped to help. The suspects carjacked a black Acura at knifepoint, assaulted the driver, and forced them out of the vehicle before fleeing westbound on US 30, police said. Tracking the Suspects Officers from Merrillville, Hobart, and the Lake County Sheriff's Department assisted in the search and found the abandoned Acura in the 7900 block of Rhode Island Street. Troopers tracked footprints in the snow and used a K9 unit to locate the suspects. Meanwhile, the Merrillville Fire Department reported two men who entered the station claiming they had been robbed. Their descriptions matched those of the suspects, and police took them into custody. The suspects were identified as 26-year-old Cain Knaus of Walshville, Ill., and 34-year-old Stephanie Raices (also known as Victor Zarate) of Chicago and Bronx, N.Y. Knaus had an active parole violation warrant. Both were booked into Lake County Jail and face multiple charges. Charges Filed The Lake County Prosecutor's Office approved these charges against the two suspects: Armed robbery- Level 3 felony Robbery- Level 5 felony Auto theft- Level 6 felony Battery- Class B misdemeanor Leaving the scene of a crash- Class B misdemeanor Reckless driving- Class C misdemeanor Authorities are still investigating which suspect was driving the vehicle during the crash.
