Indiana State Police report the arrest of a man who was on the run after a reported carjacking in Lake County, Indiana January 8.  Randy Terrell Brown-Watkins was arrested January 13 on separate charges in Decatur, IL.  He is being held at the Macon County Jail pending formal extradition to Lake County, Indiana.

State troopers responded to a rollover crash on I-65 in Indiana just after midnight January 8. The location was north of U.S. 30. While troopers were responding to the scene, they received information that a good Samaritan who had stopped to assist the driver, had been carjacked. Troopers quickly located the vehicle that was carjacked but were unaware that the victim was driving the vehicle while the suspect was in the passenger seat. A pursuit was initiated, and the troopers followed the vehicle into Illinois where the vehicle made a sudden stop on I-94 at 115th Street in Cook County, Illinois. The driver exited the vehicle and immediately laid on the ground. As officers were learning from the driver that the suspect was still in the van, the driver’s door suddenly closed, and the vehicle sped away. Officers attempted to pursue the van again, however they lost sight of it. It was later recovered abandoned two miles away from 115th St. Investigators also later recovered a .22 Sterling Arms handgun from inside the wrecked Chrysler 300.

During the investigation, it was determined that the suspect is Randy Terrell Brown-Watkins. Mr. Brown-Watkins is a black male, 5’9”, 230 lbs., and has reported residences in both Lafayette, IN, and Chicago, IL. Mr. Brown-Watkins was considered armed and dangerous. Warrants for Mr. Brown-Watkins had been issued by the Lake County Superior Court, Criminal Division 1 for • Kidnapping While Hijacking a Vehicle- Level 2 Felony • Armed Robbery- Level 3 Felony • Auto Theft- Level 6 Felony• Pointing a Firearm- Level 6 Felony • Leaving the Scene of a Crash. 

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