Brownsburg police report ongoing armed‑robbery probe; narcotics unit credited with interstate recovery

The Brownsburg Police Commission received public safety updates at its May 12 meeting, including details on an active armed robbery investigation and a separate multi‑jurisdictional recovery credited to the department’s BNU (narcotics unit).

Assistant Chief Andrew Watts reported that officers responded in the early morning hours of May 1 to an alleged armed robbery near mile marker 74.66 involving a disabled vehicle. The vehicle was described as an older dark SUV occupied by two Black males; victims reported a phone, a purse and roughly $13,000 in cash taken. Watts said the investigation remains open, that information released at the meeting was cleared as publicly releasable and that investigators were still gathering details; he noted he did not believe there was a current threat to public safety.

Watts also described a separate weapon‑involved incident near the PNC area the following morning. That incident resulted in arrests and is being tied to a fraud investigation; investigators determined it was not the same individuals involved in the May 1 robbery.

Major Fultz briefed the commission on BNU work supporting other jurisdictions. He said BNU used license‑plate reader data and partner databases to help locate a semi‑truck and trailer stolen from the Atlanta, Georgia area. On recovery, the department and partners recovered approximately 870–872 tires with an estimated value of $258,000 and returned them to the owner. Major Fultz noted BNU does not only pursue narcotics cases and cited the recovery as an example of interagency cooperation.

Commissioners received the updates; several asked that sensitive investigatory questions be handled outside the public record. No arrests or charges related to the May 1 robbery were announced in the public portion of the meeting.