Police: Man Murdered By Three Men Breaking Into Cars At Merrillville Apartment Complex
(CBS) -- Police in Northwest Indiana are looking for the men who shot and killed a 55-year-old Merrillville man as he was leaving home for work early this Wednesday morning.
It was just after 5 in the morning when police say some young men were breaking into cars at a Merrillville apartment complex.
Just then, Cecil Pendleton left his apartment to go out to his van to go to work.
And that's when the men confronted him and apparently tried to rob him and Pendleton sought refuge in his van, locking himself in.
But police say someone in that group of men shot through the passenger window of that van and killed Pendleton.
"We're looking for a lot of help from the public on this one," said Robert Byrd is spokesman for the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force.
"There's people out there that know who these individuals are. They are armed. They are dangerous. And they know we're looking for them. So we want to get them as quickly into custody as we can."
Merrillville Police Chief Joe Petruch says witnesses said there was an argument in the lot.
"It appears a couple of witnesses said they heard someone say, 'Just leave me alone, just leave me alone,' he said."
Pendleton was going to marry Candace Mohammad's mother.
He was an amazing man," she said. "My mother is taking it very, very hard but Cecil, he was just a wonderful individual. This was just a senseless crime. It didn't have to happen.
Byrd says witnesses tell police the young men fled on foot apparently toward a vehicle, possibly a black Chevrolet Impala.
Anyone with information is asked to call Merrillville Police Department at 219-769-3722, extension 347, or they can submit an anonymous tip online by visiting nwimajorcrimes.com.