Police are continuing to investigate the homicide that occurred Sunday night that left one woman dead in her Niles Township home and two alleged suspects at large.

Officers arrived at 1429 Lawndale Ave. at approximately 5:56 p.m. in response to a possible shooting. The caller who reported the crime was the victim’s 49-year-old husband, John Benton Lewis, who stated that two unknown African American males had entered the residence and shot his wife, Carla Jean Lewis, 55, in the basement of their house, according to Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey.

Police found Carla in the basement and performed first aid. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Before police arrived, John alleged that the two male suspects involved fled the scene in the victim’s 2008 Mazda CX-9, which is dark in color.

“We are still trying to figure out why [the suspects] were here,” Bailey said.

The vehicle has a Michigan Registration of (CMY 3721) and has been reported stolen. Anyone who has information as to the whereabouts of this vehicle is asked to contact the police immediately and any occupants are to be considered armed and extremely dangerous, police said.

“We put out an area broadcast to Michigan and the surrounding states and advised that it [the car] was possibly in a homicide,” Bailey said.

During the police investigation, it was discovered that John Benton Lewis was not in compliance with the Medical Marijuana Act, according to police. He was lodged at the Berrien County Jail for this violation and is expected to be arraigned at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Berrien County Trial Court in Niles.

Lewis is known throughout the Niles community for his marijuana advocacy. He owns two businesses, Cannabis Cares and Seven Leaves in Belle Plaza. Lewis drives a lime green truck painted with the words of Thomas Jefferson: “If the law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey. He is obliged to do so.” The truck is ordained with the Cannabis Cares logo and a marijuana leaf.

Some neighbors who were watching the incident unfold Sunday evening were shaken by the news. Jessica Stover, who has lived on Lawndale her whole life, said an incident like this has never occurred.

“It’s so peaceful and quiet here,” Stover said. “This really, really shocked us. Before all this it was a place [someone] could leave the door unlocked.”

Stover heard the news while vacationing in Indian Lake in Dowagiac.

“My neighbor called and said, ‘I can’t even get out of my house. There are [emergency] vehicles blocking the driveway,” Stover said.

Stover said she was very concerned about her home and her dog and she returned with her family that evening to find a street lined with cop cars.

The Lewis family kept to themselves and cared for their property, Stover said. Other than the occasional wave, she said she did not have any contact with them.

Next door to Stover, a neighbor who did not want to give his name said he had been sleeping when the crime occurred. He said detectives came to his house and asked him if he had seen or heard anything. He said he had not. The man said personally he was not scared following the crime, but others who lived in his home were.

An autopsy for Carla’s body was scheduled Monday at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in Kalamazoo.

Police are continuing to canvas the region for the vehicle. Bailey said if the vehicle is spotted, it will be stopped and its occupants will be questioned. Those who see a vehicle that matches the description are urged to call 9-1-1. Additionally, Bailey asked that anyone with information of the incident report it to Crime Stoppers at (574) 288-7867.

This incident remains under investigation by the Berrien County Sherriff’s Office, Berrien County Homicide Task Force and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. The Michigan State Police Crime Lab was called in to process the scene for any forensic evidence, according to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.

The homicide is the second violent crime resulting in death to occur since July 21, when James Huffman confessed to murdering his girlfriend, Angela Cluver, at 996 S. 14th St.