Driver arrested after fleeing police while holding 5 people against their will

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A man was arrested after leading police on a lengthy pursuit with five people inside the vehicle being held against their will, according to South Bend Police.

Around 1:20 a.m. on Thursday, an officer spotted a vehicle that disregarded multiple stop signs in the area of Linden Avenue and Kaley Street.

The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle but the vehicle didn't pull over.

Instead, the vehicle traveled west on Linden, south to Mayflower and then onto the Bypass.

During the pursuit someone in the vehicle called 911 saying she was being held against her will, police said.

The vehicle exited and entered the bypass several times, then headed westbound on SR 2.

Police said the vehicle traveled at speeds in excess of 100 mph during one point of the pursuit.

The vehicle did a U-turn and headed east on SR 2 and nearly hit a police officer who was setting up stop sticks, reports said.

The driver eventually stopped when the vehicle ran out of gas in the area of Timothy and Gordon roads.

The driver, 19-year-old Ryheeme McLeod, was taken into custody on five counts of criminal confinement and resisting law enforcement.

Police said the five other people inside the vehicle, including three children, were safely removed from the vehicle. No one was injured.

One of the victims said they didn't want to be in the car but the only option they had was to jump out of a fast moving vehicle, reports said.

The South Bend Police Department thanked the St. Joseph County Police Department, LaPorte County Police Department and Pokagon Tribal Police for their assistance in the pursuit and dispatchers from St Joseph County 9-1-1 and LaPorte County for their communication throughout.