IMPD: 18-year-old stole car at gunpoint, crashed during police chase

INDIANAPOLIS — An 18-year-old has been arrested after police say he stole a car at gunpoint on Indy’s east side, later leading officers on a car chase before crashing the car and running away on foot.

Lewis Dale Jr. was arrested Thursday afternoon by Indianapolis metro police and booked into jail on charges of robbery, resisting arrest with a vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident. The charges stem from an alleged armed carjacking that happened earlier in the day.

IMPD officers were called around 3:30 p.m. to the 1100 block of Shannon Avenue on a report of a stolen silver 2014 Mazda. Investigators soon spoke with a victim who said that, while getting out of his car, a male pointed a handgun at him and demanded he give up the vehicle.

The victim said his phone was inside the car when the suspect got inside and drove away

Later that day, surveillance cameras captured the stolen Mazda on the city’s northwest side. IMPD officers in the 4300 block of Moller Road soon saw the suspect drive by and attempted to pull him over. However, he reportedly “failed to stop” and began leading officers on a pursuit.

During the chase, officers described seeing the suspect hit “several medians and curbs” before driving through a nearby field and coming to a stop. IMPD said the male driver then got out of the Mazda and ran away on foot.

After a short chase, officers caught up to the suspect and took him into custody. A passenger inside the stolen car “complied with officers” and was briefly taken into custody before being released from the scene.

While searching the stolen vehicle, police said they found a handgun hidden under the driver’s seat. Photos of the gun and the car, provided by IMPD, can be seen below:

The driver, identified as Lewis Dale Jr., was arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail. Online records show his next court hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on July 25.

IMPD said that the booking photo for Dale Jr. is not available as of this article’s publication. No other information was immediately provided.