According to the City of Salem police, two men from Indianapolis were arrested Sunday morning after a brief chase Saturday evening by city police officers.
The two men were arrested and are in custody at the Washington County Detention Center.
Samad Reheem Moody, 21, Indianapolis and De-Juante Maurice Burnett, 24, Merrillville were taken into custody by Salem Police officers Sunday morning.
Burnett was charged with:
- Resisting law enforcement – operating a vehicle
- Resisting law enforcement
- Operating While Never Being Licensed
- Possession of marijuana hash oil hashish or salvia
- Carrying a handgun without being licensed
- Reckless driving
- Leaving the scene of an accident
Moody was charged with:
- Resisting law enforcement
- Theft – at least $750 but less than $50000 value or property is firearm or prior theft or criminal conversion conviction
- Possession of marijuana hash oil hashish or salvia
- Carrying a handgun without being licensed
- Leaving the scene of an accident
Saturday afternoon, Salem Police officers responded to a suspect who had allegedly stolen a firearm and was driving from Hardinsburg through Salem.
The vehicle was being followed by the victim of the theft.
According to police, officers intercepted the vehicle on the Washington County Square and attempted to pull the vehicle over on North Main Street.
Police said the vehicle would not stop and they continued to follow it on State Road 135 North.
The chase ended when officers arrived at the scene where the vehicle left the roadway and crashed.
Police said nobody was in the vehicle when they arrived.
They searched the area but were unable to locate anyone.
Police recovered the firearm.
Washington County Deputy Tori Hildreth said he worked the incident and interviewed the suspects.
“I interviewed them on Sunday they admitted stealing the gun,” he said. “It was from a residence on US 150 in Hardinsburg.”
The gun was a 9mm semiautomatic they removed from the house of a friend they were visiting from Indianapolis.
Hildreth said as the pair were leaving, they grabbed it.
“The owner of the gun realized it was missing and they took off from the residence really quickly,” said Hildreth.
He said the gun’s owner followed them into Salem.
Hildreth said Samad admitted to stealing the gun.
