America Today Staff 
Shantay Monique Shanks, 47, faces two felony theft charges after Gary Police identified her on surveillance video using credit and debit cards taken from wallets that truck drivers reported missing while they slept inside their semi cabs at Burr Street truck stops. According to probable cause affidavits, on September 21 into the early morning of … Read more
The Lake County Council has unanimously approved an Economic Revitalization Area for a new John Deere distribution center planned southwest of Interstate 65 and Indiana 2. The approval, announced during a special Thursday meeting, clears the way for a 1.2-million-square-foot facility expected to generate $7.2 million in new property tax revenue for Lake County over … Read more
Melissa Danielle Vieyra, 30, of Griffith, is facing a felony theft charge after an investigation at a Hammond medical clinic allegedly revealed she removed prescription medications from the pharmacy over a two-month period while working as a pharmacy technician. According to a probable cause affidavit, the incidents took place between October 13, 2025, and December … Read more
Dariel Edwin Dodd Jr., 26, of Merrillville, is facing several felony and misdemeanor charges after investigators recorded two cocaine transactions earlier this month and later carried out a search warrant at his apartment, where marijuana, digital scales, packaging materials, and a device used to convert a firearm into a fully automatic weapon were found. According … Read more
Leonel Alcides Erazo, 50, of East Chicago, faces several felony and misdemeanor charges after East Chicago Police allege he led officers on an extended vehicle chase through city streets, crashed into a parked vehicle with an occupant inside, ran from police on foot, and was later found with cocaine and marijuana while under the influence. … Read more
Fourteen individuals were arrested following a law enforcement operation aimed at addressing illegal lodging, squatting, and active arrest warrants in the Kern River Valley, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. The targeted enforcement action took place on January 27, 2026, as part of an ongoing effort to protect public safety and enforce state laws … Read more
Two individuals were critically injured early Wednesday morning after a crash involving a stolen vehicle on Chicago’s Southwest Side, police said. The crash occurred shortly after 1:15 a.m. in the 3500 block of West Marquette Road in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. Officers on patrol noticed a vehicle that had crashed into a viaduct and responded … Read more
Chicago police are investigating after a woman was found dead inside a home on the city’s Far South Side late Tuesday night. Officers responded around 10 p.m. to a residence in the 10100 block of South State Street in the Roseland neighborhood. A 46-year-old woman was found unresponsive on the floor inside the home. Fire … Read more
A former Elgin police officer has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison after being convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday that Jordan Collins, a 36-year-old resident of Kirkland and former Elgin police officer, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The charges stem from … Read more
An East Chicago man is facing misdemeanor charges after a traffic stop led officers to discover identification documents they believe to be fraudulent. According to police, officers stopped a Ford sedan around 8:33 p.m. on January 26, 2026, near the intersection of 149th Street and Euclid Avenue. The driver, later identified as 26-year-old Reyson Alexander … Read more