Hobart, IN – A 19-year-old South Haven man was killed last week during what police say was a drug deal that turned violent in Hobart.
According to the Hobart Police Department, officers responded to the 300 block of Ruta Drive at approximately 5:07 p.m. on July 8 for reports of a disturbance involving a firearm. Dispatch advised that at least four males were involved, and one was seen carrying a gun. While officers were on the way, they received updates that gunshots had been fired and a man was down.
When officers arrived, they found one male slumped over an apartment landing railing with a gunshot wound to the head. He was later identified as Tristan Tomak-Trevino, 19, of South Haven, Indiana, and pronounced dead at the scene. Another man, identified as an 18-year-old from Hobart, was found on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head but was still alive.
Investigators allege Tomak-Trevino had arranged to sell marijuana to the 18-year-old, who was accompanied by two friends, including Jordan Carl Meekins, 18, of Hobart. Detectives determined that Meekins and the others intended to pay with counterfeit money. The encounter allegedly escalated into a robbery and exchange of gunfire. Police say Tomak-Trevino shot the 18-year-old, and Meekins then fatally shot Tomak-Trevino from behind.
On July 17, detectives charged Meekins with murder and murder in the perpetration of robbery. He was taken into custody in Gary by the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from Hobart Police Task Force officers.
The case remains under investigation, and police say additional arrests are possible pending review by the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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