Porter County- On Saturday, September 7th , at approximately 1:15 p.m., Trooper Payonk was patrolling U.S. 20 near the area of S.R. 49 when he located a white 2022 Dodge Ram pickup truck that had been reported stolen. Troopers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the stolen vehicle near S.R. 149 in Burns Harbor, but the driver refused to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.
The pursuit continued east on U.S. 20 when the vehicle turned onto County Road 1400 North where the vehicle suddenly stopped, and the driver exited the truck and ran into a wooded area. Trooper Payonk and Trooper Jones were able to chase the suspect into the woods where he was taken into custody.
The suspect has been identified as Benjamin K. Vanvynckt, 41, from South Bend, IN. He was incarcerated at the Porter County Jail. He is preliminarily charged with the following offenses:
- Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle- Level 6 Felony
- Habitual Traffic Violator- Level 6 Felony
- Unauthorized Control of a Motor Vehicle- Level 6 Felony
- Reckless Driving- Class C Misdemeanor
Final charges will be determined by the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office. All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless proven guilty in court.