COLUMBUS – A 19-year-old Indianapolis teen, Isaac Armstrong, is facing an armed robbery charge after allegedly stealing over $1,000 worth of Lego sets from a Target store in Columbus and pulling a gun on an employee. A judge issued a warrant for Armstrong’s arrest on Thursday, July 31.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2024, a Target employee observed a man, later identified as Armstrong, bypass all checkouts with a cart full of Legos. When approached for a receipt, Armstrong allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at the employee. The employee reportedly responded, “You’re really pulling a gun on me?” before Armstrong exited the store and entered the backseat of a silver Mazda.
The Target employee followed Armstrong into the parking lot while calling 911. A former Columbus police officer, coincidentally in the parking lot, witnessed the scene and followed the Mazda onto US 31 North, also contacting 911.
Court documents indicate that an officer with the Hope Police Department managed to get behind the Mazda near the Interstate 65 interchange. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the Mazda reportedly accelerated, continuing north on the interstate at speeds up to 100 mph, at times driving on the left shoulder.
The high-speed pursuit extended into Johnson County, where sheriff’s deputies and Indiana State Police troopers joined the chase. During the pursuit, police observed a passenger, later identified as Armstrong, jump from the moving vehicle into a ditch on the right shoulder. He was then apprehended.
The Mazda continued north and was later found at an apartment complex in Indianapolis. The driver of the vehicle has not yet been identified. Armstrong was transported to an Indianapolis hospital after complaining of pain from jumping out of the car. Police initially did not identify Armstrong as the suspect in the Target robbery.
Further investigation revealed the Mazda had been stolen at gunpoint in Greenwood on October 10, 2024. Police later identified Armstrong as the robbery suspect through security camera and police bodycam footage.
Armstrong has a history with law enforcement, having been booked into the Marion County Jail as recently as June 14 for a separate theft case. Court records show he has six pending criminal theft cases from 2025 alone in Bartholomew, Marion, Hamilton, and Johnson counties, along with another pending theft case from November 2024 in Howard County. In 2023, at age 17, Armstrong faced charges in Marion County for dangerous possession of a firearm by a child and other misdemeanors, though those charges were dismissed in 2024.
If convicted of the Level 3 felony armed robbery charge, Armstrong could face a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison under Indiana sentencing guidelines.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
