Four men in a stolen car were arrested after a high-speed pursuit because they were suspected in the theft of $6,000 worth of shoes from a Nike store in Michigan City on Monday afternoon, law enforcement officials say.

The chase started when a Porter County Sheriff’s officer initiated the pursuit at 12:41 p.m. Monday in the area of Tremont Road and U.S. 20. A Flock Safety license plate reader ha

d picked up that the vehicle’s plate matched one seen at the Nike Store in the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets complex moments before, said Lt. Steve Westfall of the Michigan City Police Department.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office later joined the chase westbound on Interstate 94. The vehicle exited south on the Cline Avenue exit and stopped shortly afterward where the arrests were made.At one point, speeds reached up to 100 mph on I-94, according to a social media post that monitors police radio traffic.

After the arrest, two of the men were transported to Michigan City while the other two were kept by Porter County, Westfall said.

Chrishon Greenwood, 27, of Indianapolis, and Andrew Densmore, 23, of Chicago, were charged with organized theft, criminal organization activity, theft with a prior conviction, and theft with value over $750. All of the charges are Level 6 felonies, Westfall said.

Maurice Forest, 35, of Rockford, Connecticut, was charged in Porter County with three Level 6 felonies: resisting law enforcement using a motor vehicle, auto theft and theft with a prior conviction. Jylein Densmore, 22, of Chicago, was charged with Level 6 felonies of criminal organization, organized theft, theft of items valued at more than $750 and theft with a prior conviction.

The situation began around 12:30 p.m. when the men grabbed the shoes and ran out of the store, Westfall said.

A clerk followed the men out and took down the license plate number, which led to the Porter County Sheriff’s officer out on patrol picking up on the pursuit, Westfall said.

The red Hyundai that the four men were in was reported to have been stolen in Illinois, Westfall said.

Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.