Two juveniles were detained at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center earlier this month on a delinquency charge of possession of an unpermitted handgun, Chesterton Police said.

One of those juveniles was additionally charged with intimidation, and the other with theft.

According to police, at 5:19 p.m. on July 3 an officer was dispatched to the Prairie Duneland Trail west of South Jackson Blvd. in response to a report of a large number of juveniles congregating in the area. Police said that the caller was concerned due to a rash of recent vandalisms and wanted an officer to investigate.

On his arrival, police said, the officer located the group, comprised of approximately 20 juveniles, and informed them of the complaint. The juveniles agreed to leave.

But the officer, observing among the juveniles some degree of “tension”—as though they had “met to settle something”—opted to remain in the area and positioned himself at the intersection of West Morgan Ave. and 17th Street. He was still at that location when a juvenile approached him and advised that another juvenile had threatened him with a handgun which he had seen stuffed in the boy’s waistband.

The officer subsequently observed a boy matching the description of the juvenile with a handgun pushing a light blue moped in a field just north of the 1700 block of West Morgan Ave. On seeing the officer, police said, the boy dropped the moped and ran north. A pursuit ensued, with the officer in his squad and the boy on foot, and eventually the juvenile was apprehended at gunpoint on 15th Street. He was found not to have a handgun in his possession and was transported to the CPD station.

While pursuing the boy, however, the officer observed a second boy riding a light blue moped and wearing a red hat eastbound on West Morgan Ave. The officer later learned that the second boy might now be in possession of the handgun. Following a tip from an anonymous caller, who had observed a boy in a red hat on a light blue moped take North Calumet Road to Indian Boundary Road and then turn into McDonald’s, the officer located the second boy in the parking lot of the restaurant and took him into custody at gunpoint. This boy was found to be in possession of a loaded Taurus PT 140 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, police said.

On further investigation, the officer learned that one of the boys had stolen the red hat from a juvenile and, when the juvenile had objected, had showed him the gun and advised him that “you don’t want none,” police said. The boy was also heard to say that he “got the gun from some kid who was in trouble and needed to get rid of it,” police said. On seeing the officer’s squad later, that boy gave the red hat and the handgun to the second boy and told him to go to McDonald’s, where he would retrieve the gun later, police said.

Witnesses further advised police that the boy had told the juvenile from whom he had taken the hat, “Back off, you’re not getting the hat” and “Back off before I stick you.” The boy had also reportedly said, “I think, you think, I’m playing,” and then lifted his shirt to display the handgun in his waistband, police said. In addition, the boy told the victim that “if he snitched to the cops that him and his friends would find him.”

A juvenile probation officer authorized the detention of both boys.

Lt. Dave Cincoski of the CPD told the Chesterton Tribune today that he trying to determine the owner of the handgun and how it came into the boy’s possession.

Posted 7/24/2008