NOBLE COUNTY – Friday morning at approximately 9:00am, a 911 call came in to the Noble County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center, advising of an active home burglary in the 1900 block of north County Road 900 West, southeast of Cromwell.
Two teenagers were home alone, and reported to dispatch that their front door had just been kicked in, and the suspects were still inside the home.
Responding Fort Wayne District troopers and Noble County Sheriff Deputies were on scene in about 5-6 minutes, however the suspects had already fled the scene. Officers secured the residence and ensured that the teens were safe they reviewed home security camera footage that captured the two suspects, a male and female. The footage also showed the suspected vehicle, which appeared to be a black early 2000’s Chevrolet Suburban or Tahoe.
A photo of the suspect vehicle was quickly relayed to all surrounding police agencies in an attempt to locate, and within two hours a Ligonier Police Department officer reported having located the suspect vehicle at a residence on Robinhood Road near Lake Wawasee in Kosciusko County.
Before officers could make contact at the Robinhood Road residence, a white male matching the burglary suspect description, drove off from the residence. When troopers attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop, the suspect sped off- initiating what would be a half hour long vehicle pursuit around the northeast corner of Kosciusko County and western Noble County.
Officers from multiple agencies, including troopers from the Fort Wayne and Bremen Post(s), Noble and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Departments, Ligonier and Syracuse Police Departments were involved in the pursuit. Together they were able to effectively coordinate and manage the overall pursuit tactics and safely bring the pursuit to an end on East Hatchery Road near Eagle Trail, at the southwest area of Lake Wawasee.
The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Brad Lee Niles Jr, of Syracuse, was quickly taken into custody without further incident. Niles was alone in the vehicle during the pursuit. He was transported to the Noble County Jail, where he was booked into custody on charges of residential burglary, resisting law enforcement with vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and criminal recklessness. He was also wanted on an outstanding felony warrant out of Elkhart County for theft related charges.
Although Niles was arrested and charged for the burglary, at the time of the news release for ISP, the female suspect remains at large as troopers are actively working to identify her.
No other information has been released at this time.
