INDIANAPOLIS — Police have arrested a 16-year-old in connection with 19 business burglaries in Indianapolis, along with a 14-year-old and three adults on gun charges.
The 16-year-old suspect is charged with dangerous possession of a gun by a child, possession of a machine gun and possession of methamphetamine.
“Disappointingly again, children. Children with firearms,” IMPD Public Information Officer Tommy Thompson said in an interview. “That is not something that can happen in our community.”
According to court documents, the teen was tied to the burglary spree that occurred between April 15 and April 24 on Indianapolis's northwest side.
The crimes involved additional suspects who have not been identified.
Police said more burglaries involving the same suspects were reported on the east and southeast sides, and in Lawrence.
The 19 northwest side burglaries alone netted approximately $31,875, police said. Each business had windows broken with rocks or bricks and cash registers stolen or smashed.
“That should have never happened to those business owners,” Thompson said. “Where is the accountability? We continue to ask that of our community.”
Fingerprints from the 16-year-old were found at two crime scenes, according to the affidavit.
Officers found him in a vehicle with a 14-year-old male and three adults in the 5600 block of Dollar Forge Drive on the southwest side.
During the investigation, officers found four guns with machine gun conversion devices attached.
In addition to arresting the 16-year-old burglary suspect, police arrested a 14-year-old for possession of a machine gun and dangerous possession of a firearm by a child.
Three adult males, identified as Melvion Germany, Michael Ellis, and Maurice Burge, were also arrested for possession of a machine gun, according to police.
Investigators say the 16-year-old and others arrested were affiliated with a group known as “The Reapers”. The group “is known by law enforcement to be involved in multiple business burglaries,” according to prosecuting documents.
Police have not connected the three men or the 14-year-old to any burglaries, but said they are actively working to identify others tied to those crimes.
“We know there’s community members that know something,” Thompson said. “That could be a parent, a grandparent, it could be a friend's parent. But we need those people to come forward because we can’t do this alone.”
