A 19-year-old man from East Chicago is facing felony charges in Lake County after police say he was found carrying a handgun with an obliterated serial number during an investigation tied to a Hammond battery case.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers were responding Feb. 17, 2026, to a reported battery at Columbia Park in Hammond and were searching for a suspect believed to be heading toward East Chicago. While in the 400 block of East Chicago Avenue, officers stopped a man riding a bicycle who matched the suspect’s description.
Police identified the man as Michael G. Medrano. During a pat-down, officers located a black and silver 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun in the chest pocket of his jacket. Authorities reported the firearm’s serial number had been obliterated, with visible grinding marks consistent with attempts to remove the identifying information.
Court documents state Medrano was under felony indictment in a prior Lake County case at the time of the incident. He was lodged in the Lake County Jail.
Charges filed Feb. 19, 2026, include:
-
Possession of Altered Firearm — Level 5 Felony
-
Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun — Class A Misdemeanor
Court records also reflect additional pending charges filed Oct. 29, 2024, including multiple counts of arson, intimidation with a deadly weapon, domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury, criminal confinement, strangulation, stalking, and criminal mischief.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.