An East Chicago man is now in federal crosshairs after a crash that left a Portage woman and her 3-year-old grandchild clinging to life and airlifted to Chicago-area hospitals. Authorities say the wreck happened in Jasper County and triggered multiple arrests. The Times of Northwest Indiana first reported the developments on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Porter County jail records show 52-year-old Theresa Jenkins and 36-year-old Cheron Reed were booked on operating-while-intoxicated charges with prior-conviction enhancements, according to the Times of Northwest Indiana. Sheriff’s investigators told the paper the East Chicago resident who collided with the Portage vehicle did not have a valid driver’s license and lacked proper immigration paperwork. The Portage woman and her grandchild were flown to Chicago hospitals with severe, critical injuries, the report said.
ICE Detainer And What It Means
Local officials told reporters that Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on the East Chicago man after his arrest. In plain terms, a detainer is a request asking a local jail to hold someone so federal agents can step in and take custody. Detainers are administrative, not criminal charges, but they can set the stage for a transfer into federal immigration custody and possible removal proceedings. For more detail on how that works, see the American Immigration Council overview and a Congressional Research Service report on immigration detention and detainer practice.
State Charges And Possible Penalties
Under Indiana law, operating-while-intoxicated charges can be ratcheted up when a driver has a prior OWI conviction, increasing both the level of the offense and the potential penalties and license suspension. Depending on how recent any prior conviction is and the seriousness of the injuries involved, prosecutors can pursue felony enhancements under state statute. The rules on how prior offenses affect penalties are laid out in Indiana Code § 9-30-5-3…