Mike Wolanin | The Republic Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies are investigating a shooting at this home in the 300 block of Elm Street in Hope where a 36-year-old man and his 3-year-old son were shot allegedly by a relative during a family dispute.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — A 3-year-old child shot Thursday night in his home in Hope remains in critical condition at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, while the suspect in the shooting, Robbie L. Perez, 35, whose address is now listed as 7004 W. County Road 250S
Homer, remains in unknown condition at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis.
Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane said a corrections officer is with Perez at Eskenazi and will remain there while the suspect remains in the hospital, possibly as long as into next week. When Perez is released, he will be transported to the Bartholomew County Jail, Lane said.
Perez is being held on two charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a court order for no bond in the case.
Investigators said Perez, a suspect in the shooting of the child and the child’s father, George Perez Jr., (brother of the suspect), shot himself near Whiteland following a pursuit by Franklin police on Friday morning.
He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chin following a slow-speed police pursuit in Johnson County, said Franklin Police Capt. Scott Carter.
Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies had been searching for Perez, and sent out a notice that he was armed, following a shooting in Hope Thursday night, said Sgt. Dane Duke, sheriff department spokesman.
Robbie L. Perez
At 11:25 p.m. Thursday, sheriff deputies were sent to the 300 block of Elm Street in Hope where they found two people shot, a 36-year-old male, later identified as George Perez Jr., who is Robbie Perez’ brother, and George Perez Jr.’s 3-year-old son.
Duke said investigators believe the shooting was the result of a family dispute and a long-term feud between the brothers.
Investigators said a handgun was used in the shooting, and forensic investigators are working to determine if the handgun Robbie Perez used to shoot himself was also used in the shooting at the Hope residence.
Detectives confirmed today that Robbie Perez is believed to have shot the handgun from the porch into the home Thursday night.
Both victims were transported by Lifeline helicopter to Indianapolis Thursday night, and George Perez Jr. was released from an Indianapolis hospital on Friday morning, Duke said.
Bartholomew County deputies had been searching for Robbie Perez in a silver Chevrolet HHR, and were notified at 10:49 a.m. Friday that the vehicle was traveling westbound on East King Street near I-65 in Johnson County, Duke said.
Franklin police located the suspect’s vehicle in downtown Franklin sometime between 10:35 to 10:45 a.m. Friday. Officers followed the suspect for a period of time until they had enough vehicles to assist with performing a traffic stop, Carter said.
When the traffic stop was initiated, the vehicle did not stop and led officers on a slow-speed pursuit of between 40 to 50 mph as the vehicle went north on Hurricane Road out of Franklin. Law enforcement deployed stop sticks on the vehicle just north of the intersection of Hurricane Road and Earlywood Drive/East County Road 300 North, he said.
The vehicle eventually came to a stop near Hurricane Road and Whiteland Road, where the suspect — believed to be Perez — pulled out a black handgun and shot himself in the jaw, according to Franklin officers. They immediately rendered first aid to the suspect, and he was taken to the hospital, Carter said. Crime scene technicians also recovered a firearm from inside the vehicle.
No officers were injured during the pursuit, he said.
Assisting the Bartholomew County Sheriff Department in the Hope shooting investigation were the Hope Police Department, Indiana State Police, Columbus Police Department, Franklin Police Department, Shelbyville Police Department, Columbus Regional Hospital EMS, Hope Volunteer Fire Department and Rush County Sheriff’s Office.
