A suspect has been arrested after driving a stolen vehicle into the St. Joseph River, then attempting to flee.
It was just after 2 a.m. on Monday, Sep. 5, when officers were called to the 300 block of E. Lasalle Avenue to investigate a report of a vehicle that had just been stolen.
While assisting the victim, other responding officers spotted the stolen vehicle near Brookfield and Bulla and tried to initiate a traffic stop.
The driver led officers on a brief pursuit and, as he reached the area of Portage and Boland, the vehicle proceeded to drive east on Boland through a wooded area, then down into the St. Joseph River.
The South Bend Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team was en route, as the driver managed to climb out of the vehicle and onto its roof. The suspect then jumped into the river and climbed up the east side of the bank.
Multiple law enforcement agencies immediately stepped in to help find the suspect.
The suspect, Aeryk Brant, 23, was located on the property of Saint Mary’s College and was evaluated at Memorial Hospital and taken into custody on multiple charges.
