LaPorte County authorities are investigating following a report involving a stolen vehicle found in a convenience store parking lot.
Deputies arrived on scene at the intersection of County Road 300 North and U.S. 421 to the Speedway around 7:55 a.m. Officers learned on scene that a box truck loaded with tires had been stolen in South Bend, Indiana and that the owner of the truck tracked it to the parking lot using a GPS system.
The owner of the box truck confronted a person believed to be one of the suspects, but the alleged perpetrator fled into a wooded area. Further investigation revealed that a total of three box trucks were stolen from the South Bend area with a possible three suspects involved. All three trucks were thought to contain tires for transport.
Back-up was called to perform a search of the area. A helicopter was also called to the scene to assist in the search. One of the suspects was spotted and taken into custody. Some time later, a second suspect was also arrested in connection with the case. The second suspect was also found to be in possession of narcotics and wanted on warrants out of Howard County.
Both suspects were transported to the LaPorte County Jail with St. Joseph County authorities contacted for further investigation. At this time, detectives believe the extent of the alleged theft is significant. The names of those arrested have not been released at this time.
