A Newton County carjacking ended with a crash and arrest in Marshall County Monday. Indiana State Police say it began around 6:20 a.m. on U.S. 41 north of Morocco, when a Good Samaritan stopped to help a driver who had crashed his vehicle.
But the driver allegedly displayed a weapon and forced the Good Samaritan to take him away from the crash scene. Police say the driver released him a few miles away, then headed east with the car.
Master Trooper Jim Strong was working in Starke County at the time. When he heard the description of the stolen car, Strong started heading east on U.S. 30 and reportedly spotted the vehicle as he approached Oak Road in Plymouth.
Police say Strong tried to pull it over, but the driver fled south on U.S. 31. The suspect then tried to turn right onto 14C Road, but officers say he was going too fast and went into a ditch. Strong reportedly held the driver until Plymouth and Marshall County police arrived to take him into custody.
The man, identified as Victor E. Cihonski Jr., 61, of South Bend, was taken to the hospital for his injuries and then transported to the Lake County Jail. Police say Cihonski was charged with operating while intoxicated on a controlled substance, reckless driving, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, and weapon charges. He also faces several additional felony charges from the Newton County Sheriff’s Department related to the carjacking. On top of all that, State Police say Cihonski is also being held in connection with armed robberies in Cedar Lake and Lowell.
Newton County, Marshall County, Starke County, Plymouth, and Cedar Lake police all assisted, as well as the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office and Argos EMS.
