It seems like whatever strategy Chicago police leaders deployed to achieve a purported “20% reduction” in carjackings during this month’s blizzard doesn’t work when temperatures hit 48-degrees.
At least four hijackings were reported between noon and 10 p.m. Saturday on the North and Near West Sides alone. There is some good news: Cops made three arrests in connection with two of the crimes.
Most recently, a 23-year-old man was carjacked around 9:24 p.m. on the 4700 block of North Beacon in Uptown, according to Officer Ronald Westbrooks, a CPD spokesperson.
The victim was walking when two males got out of a silver Nissan, put a gun to his head, and demanded his keys, Westbrooks said. One of the hijackers drove away with the man’s 2014 Ford Focus while the other returned to the Nissan, which sped from the scene with a third offender inside.
Minutes later, the Nissan crashed on Lake Shore Drive at Grand Avenue. A passerby posted video of the scene to Snapchat (NSFW language).
Police arrested two male juveniles at the crash site, one of whom is 15-years-old. Ambulances took the suspects to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center for observation, Westbrooks said. Charges are pending.
The Ford Focus and the carjacker who drove it away have not been located.
According to a CPD report, the Nissan was taken in an armed carjacking around 8 p.m. on the 500 block of West 43rd Street by three men armed with guns.
Earlier, a food delivery driver was carjacked in the West Loop. Westbrooks said the 28-year-old driver parked his car to make a delivery when he saw someone else get into the driver’s seat around 5:35 p.m. on the 900 block of West Randolph.
According to Westbrooks, the victim opened the driver’s door, but the carjacker kicked and pushed him out and then began driving away, which caused the victim to be dragged for a short distance.
The 17-year-old carjacker then crashed into another car and ran from the scene. Police arrested him in the 800 block of West Fulton after a foot chase. Charges are pending.
Another carjacking was reported shortly after noon in West Town. There, two men displayed at least one handgun and took a delivery driver’s 2015 Land Rover on the 500 block of North Halsted. A second victim was also robbed.
The offenders, described as two Black males wearing black hoodies with white writing, were last seen driving the stolen car southbound on Halsted, according to a CPD report.