The carjackings won’t stop. And, once again, the early evening hours Tuesday proved to be prime time for hijackings on the North Side.
In Old Town, three offenders armed with a gun pushed a man and took his car in the 200 block of West Scott around 5:15 p.m. The hijackers drove away with the victim’s white 2013 Ford Fusion.
According to the man, the suspects were three Black males in their mid- to late teens. One wore a black and blue winter hat with a blue jacket, and another, who had short hair, wore a gray puffy jacket. No description was available for the third suspect.
Police had a little more success after two carjacking attempts unfolded minutes apart in the West Ridge neighborhood.
First, a group of five men reportedly brandished a knife, battered a man, and tried to take his car in the 6100 block of North Artesian around 6:15 p.m. But their efforts failed, and they fled the scene.
About 20 minutes later, they apparently popped up again in the 6200 block of North Washtenaw. That’s where a man reported that a group of six young men beat and kicked him, then took his backpack, wallet, and keys, and tried to take his car. But the car wouldn’t start, and the group ran away.
Police searched the area and found four suspects nearby. The group was taken in for questioning.
Then, shortly after 8 p.m., a 50-year-old Jefferson Park man was carjacked as he unloaded groceries outside his home in the 4900 block of North Mason. He told police that two offenders got out of a Honda Civic and one of them displayed a firearm.
The offenders ordered him to hand over money, but he didn’t have any, police said. So, the gunman jumped in the man’s black Infiniti M35 and drove away.
Police spotted the carjackers’ Honda Civic a short time later and tried to pull it over. But the vehicle sped away and crashed in the 5300 block of West Lawrence, according to CPD. All of the car’s occupants ran from the scene. Officers found a gun inside the crash car.
No arrests were made in the Jefferson Park case, police said.
