A late-night food delivery on Indianapolis' southwest side turned into a terrifying detour yesterday, after police say two teens pulled a gun on a driver and took off with his car.
According to IMPD, the delivery driver had just finished a drop in the 5200 block of Plum Drive around 10:49 p.m. when two people walked up, pointed a firearm and demanded his vehicle. The suspects allegedly took off with the car, the driver's cellphone and his keys before officers arrived. Police later identified the suspects as a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old and arrested them after finding the stolen vehicle. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will decide on charges, FOX59 reports.
Delivery drivers targeted in recent weeks
The holdup is the latest in a run of robberies and carjackings involving delivery and rideshare drivers across Indianapolis this spring. Similar cases, along with fast follow-up arrests, have been reported by WRTV and in prior coverage of a late-night IHOP carjacking chase. Investigators are asking anyone on the southwest side who might have dash-cam or doorbell footage from late Tuesday night to contact IMPD.
How officers tracked the suspects
Detectives say they used the stolen cellphone to trace the signal to the east side of Indianapolis, where they eventually spotted the missing vehicle with both suspects inside. Officers recovered a firearm they believe was used in the carjacking, and police say both teens briefly ran before they were caught. Their names have not been released while the case remains active, according to FOX59.
What happens next
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will now review the case and decide whether to file formal charges. Because one suspect is 17, state law allows prosecutors and judges to consider moving certain serious juvenile cases into adult court, depending on the allegations and other factors laid out in Indiana's juvenile waiver rules (Indiana Code § 31-30-1-4). Anyone with information about Tuesday night's carjacking is asked to contact IMPD or Crime Stoppers.
