Woman reportedly held hostage by armed suspect hiding in car, ends in car crash
South Bend Police say a woman was allegedly forced to drive around an armed suspect who had been hiding in the backseat of her car. The ordeal ended in a car crash.
Officials say the suspect fled and they do not have a suspect description available.
According to police, the 33-year-old victim from South Bend victim is ok but her vehicle was damaged in the crash.
Police say they believe the man could have snuck into the woman’s car around 6 a.m. on Tuesday when she went inside the Philips 66 on Michigan Street.
Surveillance cameras outside of the business may have captured this. The owner says he couldn’t share the footage and says it was collected as evidence by police after the incident.
Believing she was alone, the victim later told police she drove onto the bypass for a few miles. As she was getting off the exit towards Goshen, she noticed an unknown man with a knife in the backseat of her car.
He allegedly demanded she turn around back towards South Bend and eventually to Marshall County.
Directing her over twenty miles away from the gas station through narrow, back roads in Plymouth.
Police say the victim ultimately drove her vehicle into a ditch and hit a tree on 4th Road just east of Tamarack Road.
The victim reported both she and the suspect got out of the vehicle and the suspect ran away on foot. Marshall County Sheriff's Department responded to the accident. The suspect could not be located.
South Bend Police are leading the investigation but Marshall County officers are looking for this suspect as well. At this time, there is no description of the suspect. If you have any knowledge of the case, you’re asked to contact local law enforcement.