5 teens face battery charges after west side carjacking

INDIANAPOLIS — Five teens found themselves in cuffs Sunday after Indianapolis police arrested them for armed carjacking following a police chase.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrests Monday morning. The teens’ ages range from 15 to 17. Their identities have not been released.

IMPD says Southwest District officers were dispatched to an armed carjacking incident in the 5900 block of Beachview Drive just after 11 p.m. Saturday. That address is in the Westlake Apartments on Indy’s far west side near I-465 and W. 10th St.

There, officers met with the victim, who said at least four males approached him and demanded his keys. At that point, one of the suspects “pistol-whipped the victim while taking his car keys and his vehicle.”

After reviewing security camera footage, investigators pulled together enough details to get descriptions of the vehicle and the suspects that matched the information the victim gave police.

The teens and the stolen car weren’t spotted again until an ISP trooper found the vehicle on Indy’s northwest side. Joined by IMPD officers, the trooper attempted to pull over the stolen vehicle, but the suspects fled immediately.

The chase ended when an officer performed a PIT maneuver near 38th Street and Cold Spring Road. Though the teens tried to escape police on foot, all five were caught soon after.

During the foot chase, one teen was caught tossing a gun. IMPD noted the gun was later recovered and had been equipped with a machinegun conversion device.

The group of suspects – consisting of two 15-year-olds, one 16-year-old, and two 17-year-olds – were all arrested on a preliminary charge of battery.

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