Man arrested for kidnapping, carjacking good Samaritan at gunpoint

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. - A man wanted in connection with carjacking a good Samaritan has been arrested in central Illinois.

Randy Terrell Brown-Watkins was arrested on Jan. 13 in Decatur on separate charges and is awaiting formal extradition to Lake County, Indiana State Police said in a statement.

On Jan. 8, Brown-Watkins allegedly carjacked a good Samaritan at gunpoint who was trying to help him after he was involved in a rollover crash on Interstate 65 in Lake County.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

Police said Brown-Watkins forced the good Samaritan back into his van and lead responding officers on a pursuit into Cook County.

Randy Terrell Brown-Watkins most recent mug photo from December 2021. (Indiana State Police)

The vehicle came to a sudden stop on Interstate 94 at 115th Street and the good Samaritan exited the vehicle and immediately laid on the ground. He told officers the suspect was still in the van at which time, Brown-Watkins allegedly sped away.

Officers later located the van abandoned two miles away, police said. Investigators also recovered a .22 Sterling Arms handgun from inside Brown-Watkins' wrecked red Chrysler 300 SRT, police said.

Photo of the red Chrysler 300 SRT that Mr. Brown-Watkins was driving when it originally crashed. (Indiana State Police)

Brown-Watkins was charged with four felonies including kidnapping while hijacking a vehicle, armed robbery, auto theft and pointing a firearm, police said. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of a crash.

He is currently being held at the Macon County Jail pending formal extradition to Lake County, Indiana.