INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD announced Thursday the arrest of a 19-year-old man for his alleged role in an early Wednesday shooting and carjacking of a ride-share driver on Indianapolis' east side.
Police said the suspect was also arrested in connection with a separate carjacking in Indianapolis last week.
IMPD responded to a report of a person shot shortly after midnight May 29 near East 36th Street and North Franklin Road. Responding officers learned a woman had been shot during a robbery, and she told police her Mercedes SUV and gun were stolen when she tried to defend herself.
Officers quickly located the carjacked vehicle, IMPD said, and detectives "recognized similarities between this carjacking and a previous carjacking" that happened May 24 in the 7900 block of East 38th Street, near North Franklin Road.
Police located the suspect as he entered an apartment and took him into custody.
Detectives found the victim's recovered car, victim's gun, property belonging to the victim in the previous incident and a second gun with a Glock switch in the suspect's home.
The suspect was interviewed and arrested on preliminary charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, possession of a machine gun and theft of a gun. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will make final charging decisions in the case.
"The streets are safer today because of the work of our officers and the detectives in this case. We took a very violent individual off the street. We took another firearm and a machine gun conversion device off the street, and ultimately, our community is safer," IMPD Ofc. Amanda Hibschman said.
13News reported Wednesday that the victim was recovering at Eskenazi Hospital in good condition.
She could be heard screaming for help on doorbell camera video during the incident.
"It sent chills up my spine. You can hear the terror in her voice," said a neighbor, who didn't want to be identified because of the scene she saw just outside her door, minutes after she heard a woman screaming outside her house, followed by police on the street where she lives. "They were everywhere, and an ambulance was loading her into the ambulance."
Police told 13News Wednesday that two men carjacked the ride-share driver. They did not share any information on a the second suspect when announcing the arrest Thursday.
Doorbell camera video also captured the suspects speeding away.
"At some point, she picked two gentlemen up, obviously doing what she was supposed to do as an employee for that ride-share company. At some point, shots were fired and, unfortunately, she was injured in that gunfire," IMPD Ofc. William Young said Wednesday. "Thankfully, that ride-share employee will survive her injuries."
Neighbors say they're happy he's off the street.
Ivory, who did not give her last name, said it saddens her to learn the suspect is around the same age as some of her grandchildren. She said the violence is concerning.
"Some of them, you can look in their eyes and tell they don't have no soul. It's just darkness there. They don't care what they do or what they say — they just do what they want when they want. No regards for no one else," Ivory said.
Ivory's daughter and grandchildren have lived in the neighborhood for five years. She said it's normally a quiet neighborhood, but she still worries about her family.
"They could be out here and enjoying themselves and something else could happen to somebody else and they could be an innocent victim and get shot," Ivory said.
Police said if you find yourself in a dangerous situation like this, you should cooperate and make your safety a priority or get to a safe space and call 911.