Cross border collaboration and rapid response by Niles City Police resulted in swift resolution of an armed robbery underway at Pete’s Marathon in Niles, and the arrest of an Elkhart, Indiana couple this afternoon after police were alerted by colleagues in Northwest Indiana to a crime spree.
The Niles City Police Dispatch Center received information from an Indiana law enforcement agency that an armed robbery had just occurred in their jurisdiction near the state line. The Niles dispatch received a description of the suspects and vehicle as it fled the Indiana robbery.
Officers with the Niles Police Department strategically positioned themselves to intercept the thieves if they came into the city of Niles. Sure enough, less than twenty minutes later Niles Dispatchers received a 911 call reporting a robbery at Pete’s Marathon at 1293 S. 11th Street in Niles.
A Niles Officer was positioned close by and arrived at the gas station within a few seconds. That Officer encountered the two suspects; and as other Niles Police units arrived they were taken into custody. These couple matched the descriptions of the people involved in the Indiana robbery. The relationship between the two suspects is unknown.
Arrested were a 33-year old white female from Elkhart, who is charged with robbery, resisting and obstructing police, and possession of methamphetamine, and a 30-year old white male from Elkhart charged with robbery and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The initial investigation shows one of the suspects passed a note to the gas station clerk before attempting to flee. No weapons were displayed or observed, and there were no injuries.
A search warrant of the suspect vehicle revealed illegal drugs and apparent stolen merchandise from both robberies. Niles Police are working closely with the St. Joseph County Indiana Sheriff’s Department to collect evidence and interview the suspects for more information.
Arraignments are expected tomorrow at the 5th District Court in Niles, around 1:30 pm.
