A man was arrested in LaPorte County after a pursuit and while trying to enter the county complex.
It was just after 2 a.m. on Friday, Feb, 24, when a LaPorte County Sheriff’s deputy spotted a vehicle traveling westbound on U.S. 20, west of Fail Road. A radar check of the approaching vehicle measured the violator’s speed at 63 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone, so the deputy tried to initiate a traffic stop on U.S. 20 near Wilhelm Road but the driver failed to stop.
The suspect driver turned south onto Wilhelm Road and then west on Springville Road. The driver failed to negotiate the curve on Springville Road at U.S. 20 and left the roadway. The vehicle traveled off roadway before eventually making its way back on U.S. 20 and traveling westbound again.
Near the intersection of US 20 and US 35, the pursuit ended for several reasons. The vehicle merged onto I-94 while the deputy continued to observe it from a safe distance. At the 39-mile marker, the vehicle conducted a U-turn and began traveling eastbound on I-94.
The pursuit began again as the vehicle exited I-94 onto U.S. 20. The vehicle continued to flee westbound for a short distance before turning south onto U.S. 35. At the intersection of U.S. 35 and Johnson Road, the fleeing vehicle struck a set of tire deflation devices that had been deployed by La Porte City Police Department Officers.
The pursuit continued southbound into the city of LaPorte. The vehicle exited Pine Lake Avenue onto Perry Street then crashed into Norfolk Southern Railroad Tracks.
The suspect driver, Christopher R. Rodriguez, 31, of Rensselaer, got out of the vehicle and began to flee east along the railroad tracks. The foot chase continued toward the LaPorte County Complex. He approached a door of the building which also houses the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Administration Offices and the LaPorte County Jail. A Michigan City Police Department K-9 apprehended the subject as he was attempting to make entry.
Rodriguez was taken to a nearby hospital by LaPorte County EMS for treatment of the police K-9 bite.
After Rodriguez was medically cleared, he was transported to the LaPorte County Jail for the following offenses:
- Possession of Methamphetamine, L4 Felony
- Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun, L5 Felony
- Resisting Law Enforcement, L6 Felony
- Resisting Law Enforcement, A-Misdemeanor
- Aggressive Driving, A-Misdemeanor
Rodriguez remains housed in the county jail and is being held on a $20,005 cash-only bond.
