Ahhh. You’re 20-years-old, it’s Friday, and you just rolled out of the car dealership with your new ride. May as well pick up your girlfriend and drive into the city so you can get carjacked.
And that’s exactly what happened to an Algonquin man last night.
Just hours after he took ownership of the red 2009 Toyota Corolla, he drove his girlfriend into the Loop. Around 11:30 p.m., he stepped out of the car for a moment on Balbo Drive, just east of State Street.
Before he returned, another man climbed behind the wheel and ordered his girlfriend out of the vehicle. The intruder claimed to be armed, according to Chicago police.
The Toyota, bearing a crisp new temporary license plate, was last seen heading east on Balbo and then south on Michigan Avenue.
His girlfriend wasn’t injured, so that’s good.
The carjacker was described as a Black male who wore a black jacket with a flower design. Area Three detectives are investigating.
Chicago police recorded 75 carjackings between July 1 and July 16. That’s up from 65 during the same period last year and 26 during the first sixteen days of July 2019.
Year to date through July 16, 836 carjackings were reported in Chicago, up 55% from this point last year and 200% compared to mid-July 2019.
Nonetheless, CPD has consistently issued press releases that claim carjacking cases are declining.
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