Police: Drug deal gone bad nets arrests

• Reprints

Updated: November 16, 2011 9:48AM

WINFIELD — A drug deal gone awry resulted in four men being arrested for robbery and possession of a controlled substance on Monday afternoon in Winfield.

Schererville resident Dayton J. Bettis, 21; Johnnie D. Jones-Gunn, 20, of Justice, Ill.; Ronnie Ramsey, 20, Calumet City, Ill.; and Darius J. Barner, 19, Burnham, Ill., were charged with robbery, attempted robbery and possession of a controlled substance.

Around 12:15 p.m., two men drove to the Ace Hardware near 117th Avenue and Randolph Street to buy 300 Xanax pills for $350. A green Buick with five people inside pulled alongside their SUV. One man got out of the Buick and got into the back seat of their car. Shortly afterward, two other people exited the Buick — one of who had what appeared to be a double-barreled shotgun covered by a shirt or towel. The man with the gun ordered the occupants to shut off the vehicle and give up their money. Instead, the occupants drove off in the Escalade and the person in the back jumped out.

The driver called 911 to report a robbery and he followed the Buick until it was stopped by Crown Point Police on 113th Avenue, east of Broadway. The gun was actually a plastic pump-action water gun. Ten hydrocodone pills were recovered inside the Buick.