INDIANAPOLIS -- A 19-year-old Indianapolis man has been arrested and accused of a shooting and carjacking on Indy's east side, as well as a separate carjacking that occurred in the area just a few days earlier.
Officers with the department’s east district responded to the 8100 block of E. 36th Street just after midnight on Wednesday for a reported shooting.
A woman, who worked for ride-sharing service, picked up two passengers a short time earlier and had driven the pair to 35th Street when she said they tried to rob her.
The crime was all caught on camera by surveillance cameras at several homes.
In one of those videos, a horn and some screams can be heard as the driver tried to fight off the two armed carjackers.
Following two gunshots that woman, who was shot in the arm and leg, ran for help.
Video from another home then showed the suspects speed away, stealing the woman's SUV as well as her gun which she used to try to defend herself.
Just five hours after the shooting on East 36th Street, IMPD officers tracked down the stolen vehicle and arrested 19-year-old Bryant Hoskins.
Hoskins was arrested for the following preliminary charges:
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Armed Robbery
- Possession of a machine gun
- Theft of a firearm
"Detectives talked and they were able to determine there were a lot of similarities between this carjacking and a carjacking that occurred a few days prior," said IMPD officer Amanda Hibschman.
During a search of Hoskins' apartment, police claim they found evidence tying him to a different carjacking five days earlier at a gas station on Franklin Road and 38th Street.
Police also recovered the victim's gun, along with this second handgun which allegedly belonged to Hoskins and was equipped with a machine gun conversion device.
"The teamwork and communication was vital in connecting this dangerous individual to two violent crimes, but it was also critical to his quick apprehension," said Hibschman.
According to court records, Hoskins reportedly confessed to the shooting and robbery on Wednesday.
While police didn't have information on the second suspect involved in that crime, they hope the arrest of Hoskins sends a clear message.
"If you're going to commit a crime, we're going to find you and hold you accountable for your actions," said Hibschman.
The woman shot said she is expected to be released from the hospital Thursday and she should be okay.