SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After nearly a month, police in South Bend have finally taken a man into custody who, in an earlier chase, smashed into a police cruiser and managed to lose pursuing officers.
According to charging documents, 23-year-old Sander Ray was wanted on Armed Robbery charges when police spotted him on Kankakee Trail on July 15th. South Bend Police Officers attempted to arrest him, but he took sped off in his car leading to a high speed pursuit.
Charging documents say Ray ran through a construction site, where one worker was forced to leap out of the way of his vehicle. As one of the officers attempted a PIT maneuver in an attempt to stop Ray’s car, Ray smashed into the police cruiser making it undrivable. Ray eventually lost all of the pursuing officers near the intersection of Adams and Lincoln Way West, according to the probable cause affidavit which can be seen below.
That chase stemmed from an armed robbery more than a month earlier, on June 7th, at the Metro PCS store on West Western Avenue. Charging documents for that case allege Ray and an accomplice barged into the store wearing hoodies and masks carrying guns.
Investigators says Ray and the other man held two female store employees at gun point, forced them into a back room, emptied the cash register and safe and fled with cash and IPhones. Those documents can be seen below as well.
Once again, these crimes were allegedly committed by a repeat offender. Ray is currently on probation for three separate car theft cases in 2019.
Ray was convicted of stealing a car in 2016 and 2017 as well. He was also convicted of carrying a handgun without a license in the past, according to court documents.
