Merrillville- On Friday, February 14th , the Indiana State Police Regional Dispatch Center at Lowell received reports of a reckless driver on I-65 that was traveling southbound from I-80/94. The vehicle was reported to have been driving from the left shoulder to the right shoulder at a high rate of speed, almost hitting several vehicles.
As troopers were attempting to locate the vehicle, additional reports came in that the vehicle, a silver Honda, had crashed near the ramp to U.S. 30. After crashing, the two occupants of the Honda got out of the car and began to run up to additional vehicles that had stopped for the crash. The suspects reportedly carjacked a black Acura while armed with a knife. They physically assaulted the driver of the Acura while forcing the driver to exit their vehicle. The suspects fled the scene in the Acura and drove westbound on U.S. 30.
Officers from Merrillville Police, Hobart Police and the Lake County Sheriff's Department also responded to the area and located the Acura abandoned in the 7900 block of Rhode Island St. in Merrillville. Footprints in the snow led Troopers to start a K9 track from the vehicle. Troopers continued to track the suspects when dispatch received a call from the Merrillville Fire Department that two males had walked into the station at 18 West 73rd Ave and reported that they had been robbed. The description of the two subjects at the fire department matched the clothing descriptions of the two suspects that had carjacked the Acura. Officers responded to the fire department and took the two into custody.
The two suspects have been identified as Cain M. Knaus, 26, from Walshville, IL and Stephanie V. Raices, (also known as Victor M. Zarate) 34, from Chicago, IL and Bronx, NY. Knaus had an active warrant for a parole violation through the Illinois Department of Corrections. Both subjects were transported to the Lake County Jail.
The following charges were submitted to and approved by the Lake County Prosecutor's Office:
- Armed Robbery- Level 3 Felony
- Robbery- Level 5 Felony
- Auto Theft- Level 6 Felony
- Battery- Class B Misdemeanor
- Leaving the Scene of a Crash- Class B Misdemeanor
- Reckless Driving- Class C Misdemeanor
The above charges are accusations of a crime. Additional investigation is being conducted to determine who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless convicted in court.
The Indiana State Police were assisted by the following agencies in this investigation: Merrillville Police and Fire Departments, Hobart Police, Lake County Dispatch, Lake County Sheriff's Department, Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division, and the Indiana State Police C.S.I.
Cain M. Knaus
Stephanie V. Raices