Fort Wayne, Coroner names homicide victim discovered in car after high-speed pursuit.
ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. – The Allen County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of the man found dead inside a vehicle earlier this week, following a shooting that led to a police chase across two counties. Authorities confirmed on Thursday that the victim was 35-year-old Jorge Luis Granados Guzman of Fort Wayne.
Investigators believe the incident began Monday morning when Guzman was shot in the area of Cortland Avenue and West State Boulevard in Fort Wayne. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a man place Guzman into a car immediately after the shooting and then flee the area at high speed. This information quickly led law enforcement to begin searching for the vehicle connected to the case.
Later that same day, police spotted the suspect’s car, which triggered a pursuit stretching from Fort Wayne into Whitley County. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to pull over, prompting a chase that ended in a rural section near Churubusco. The pursuit came to a close near the intersection of State Road 205 and Madden Road, where the suspect’s car left the roadway.
According to the Fort Wayne Police Department, when officers approached, the driver refused to exit the vehicle. Authorities were forced to physically remove him from the car. At that time, officers discovered a semi-automatic firearm resting in his lap. Police said it appeared that the suspect had turned the gun on himself during or shortly after the chase, sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Emergency medical personnel were called to the scene and quickly treated the suspect before transporting him to a nearby hospital for further care. His current medical condition has not been released, and officials have not provided updates on whether he remains under guard at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Guzman was confirmed dead from a gunshot wound to the head. The coroner officially classified his death as a homicide. His body had been discovered in the rear seat of the suspect’s car, a detail that underscored the violent nature of the incident and raised questions about the series of events that led up to the deadly encounter.
The investigation into the case remains active, with detectives piecing together the chain of events from the initial shooting to the high-speed chase and eventual arrest. Authorities have not released the identity of the suspect, nor have they revealed a possible motive behind the attack. Police are expected to continue examining evidence, interviewing witnesses, and reviewing surveillance footage from the area where the shooting first occurred.
The incident has drawn attention in both Fort Wayne and surrounding communities, given the dramatic pursuit and the violent circumstances surrounding Guzman’s death. Law enforcement officials have emphasized that the case is still developing, and further details will be released as the investigation progresses.
For now, the community awaits clarity on what sparked the violence that left Guzman dead and the suspected shooter critically injured. The Allen County Coroner’s Office and Fort Wayne Police Department are working together with other agencies to bring resolution to the case.
