LAKE/PORTER COUNTY – In the early morning hours of May 12, 2026, Trooper Griffin arrested an impaired driver following a high‑speed pursuit that began in Lake County and ended in Porter County. One passenger was also taken into custody for outstanding warrants.
At approximately 2:06 a.m., Trooper Griffin was patrolling eastbound on I‑80 near the 10-mile marker in Gary when he observed a black Toyota traveling at a high rate of speed. After accelerating to catch up, he paced the Toyota at 110 mph in a posted 55 mph zone near the 12.5-mile marker in Lake Station. As Trooper Griffin attempted to relay the vehicle’s license plate to dispatch, the driver accelerated further, reaching 133 mph.
Trooper Griffin was operating a fully marked 2025 Ford Mustang patrol vehicle and activated the emergency lights and siren. The suspect vehicle initially appeared to be stopping, but abruptly changed lanes, accelerated to 120 mph, and turned off its exterior lights. Trooper Griffin advised dispatch that he was in pursuit of the black Toyota eastbound on I‑94 near the 16.4-mile marker in Portage. The suspect vehicle continued eastbound on I‑94, weaving through light traffic at speeds up to 135 mph. Porter Police Department officers positioned ahead of the pursuit deployed stop sticks near the 21-mile marker. The Toyota struck the stop sticks but continued at high speeds, reaching 140 mph before its tires began to fail. The vehicle eventually lost multiple tires and came to a stop near the 26.4-mile marker in Chesterton.
A high‑risk (felony) stop was conducted, and four occupants were detained without further incident. The driver was identified as Carmela Maureen Pantoja, 20, of Elkhart, Indiana. A Porter County Sheriff’s Office K9 made a positive alert to the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed multiple containers of alcohol and a small amount of suspected marijuana. During the investigation, Trooper Griffin observed signs of alcohol impairment. After failing several field sobriety tests, she was read Indiana’s implied consent advisement, and later submitted to a certified breath test at the Porter County Jail, which measured her B.A.C. at 0.09% at 3:55 a.m.
Pantoja was transported to the Porter County Jail and incarcerated on the following preliminary charges:
• Resisting Law Enforcement – Level 5 Felony
• Resisting Law Enforcement – Level 6 Felony
• Operating While Intoxicated Endangering – Class A Misdemeanor
• Possession of Marijuana – Class B Misdemeanor
• Operating While Intoxicated – Class C Misdemeanor
• Reckless Driving – Class C Misdemeanor
• Minor Consumption – Class C Misdemeanor
Passenger Maliek M. Long, 23, of Elkhart, Indiana, was incarcerated on multiple active warrants out of Elkhart County, including charges for escape, resisting law enforcement, leaving the scene of a crash, and possession of marijuana.
The two remaining passengers were released from the scene. The Indiana State Police remind the public that criminal charges are merely accusations, and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
