Rensselaer, Indiana – A Kentland man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly stealing a vehicle and assaulting a driver in Rensselaer, prompting a multi-agency investigation.
According to the Rensselaer Police Department, officers responded shortly after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, to a report of a vehicle theft in the 800 block of East Vine Street. The reporting individual told police she had given a ride to a man later identified as 37-year-old James Sturgeon of Kentland.
Police allege Sturgeon directed the driver to a Franklin Street residence before instructing her to stop at a nearby park. After the vehicle stopped, he allegedly exposed himself and engaged in inappropriate behavior before grabbing the victim’s arm. The driver exited the vehicle, and Sturgeon allegedly climbed into the driver’s seat and fled.
Authorities said he dragged the victim alongside the vehicle during the incident. The victim’s dogs were inside the vehicle at the time it was taken. The vehicle was later located a few miles outside the city limits.
Several hours later, Hobart Police Department officers located the stolen vehicle at a store along Route 30. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Sturgeon parking the vehicle. The car was recovered, and the case was forwarded to the Jasper County Prosecutor’s Office.
On August 25, 2025, Sturgeon was suspected in a separate auto theft in Merrillville. He was taken into custody in Lafayette on February 23, 2026, and transported to the Jasper County Jail. Police said he also has an active warrant in Lake County.
Sturgeon is charged with armed robbery (Level 3 felony), auto theft (Level 6 felony), sexual battery (Level 6 felony), public indecency with a prior conviction (Level 6 felony), and misdemeanor driving while suspended.
The case may be particularly relevant to local commuters and residents who rely on ridesharing or informal transportation arrangements.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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