Duo under arrest for Armed Robbery of cell phone after car chase
St. Joseph County Jail ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- A pair in their 20s have been charged with Armed Robbery after allegedly taking a man's phone at gunpoint and leading police officers on a chase across Mishawaka and South Bend.
Justin Griffin and Destiny Austin, aged 22 and 20 respectively, are both charged with Armed Robbery, as Level 3 Felonies, Pointing a Firearm at Another, as Level 6 Felonies, and Resisting Law Enforcement, as Misdemeanors.
On April 23 around 10:30 p.m., officers with the Mishawaka Police Department were dispatched to an apartment in the 4200 block of Hickory Road for an active armed robbery.
When officers arrived, they met a man who said two people later identified as Austin and Griffin had taken his phone at gunpoint before getting into a Chevy Impala and fleeing.
The victim later noted that he and a group of three, including Austin and Griffin, had visited the apartment earlier before an argument led the three to be told to leave.
According to the victim, the three then returned, claiming that someone had taken a cell phone. Both Austin and Griffin allegedly pointed handguns at him, with Austin taking the man's phone after he took it out to record them.
While one group of officers spoke with the victim, others began pursuing the Impala and turned on their overhead lights, but the driver, Austin, allegedly didn't stop. Instead, she drove at speeds over 70 mph on the wrong side of the road across Mishawaka and South Bend.
During the chase, the Impala's passenger, Griffin, allegedly threw a .40 caliber black Glock handgun from the vehicle that officers later recovered.
Eventually, officers deployed stop sticks and deflated three of the Impala's tires, so the vehicle stopped on Lincolnway West. Austin and her passenger, Griffin, began to flee on foot, but they were soon taken down by the officers' tasers and arrested. The victim's phone was later recovered, using "Find My Phone."
Austin and Griffin's initial hearings are both set for May 14.