Four arrested in armed vape robbery in Vanderburgh County

Four suspects face felony charges after an armed robbery in northern Vanderburgh County that turned a planned transaction into a violent crime. The juvenile victim reported being robbed at gunpoint by four males near his home during the afternoon of February 14, 2026, when he had arranged to meet the suspects in his subdivision to sell vape cartridges. Detectives with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office moved quickly to apprehend the suspects. Caleb Christopher Baggett, 17, and Jacob Joseph Harte, 18, both of Evansville, were located and brought in for interviews on February 18, where both admitted to participating in the robbery. By the following day, the remaining two suspects were in custody: Ashton Alexander Kohlmeyer, 17, of Evansville, who was waived to adult court, and a 15-year-old juvenile who was placed in secure detention at the Youth Care Center. All four suspects face charges of robbery and conspiracy, both Level 3 felonies. Baggett faces an additional charge of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony. Sheriff Noah Robinson's office has held all suspects without bond pending court appearances, with the three adult suspects remanded to the Vanderburgh County Jail. The case underscores the risks surrounding informal transactions, particularly those involving controlled substances or valuables conducted between strangers or acquaintances.