Chicago’s hard-working carjackers are back on the job after the Christmas weekend. Hijackings were reported in Lakeview early Tuesday and in West Town on Monday evening. In both cases, the victims were targeted as they entered their Jeeps.
Most recently, a 34-year-old man was getting into his Jeep Wrangler rental car when a black Dodge Charger pulled up next to him on the 2800 block of North Orchard around 1:14 a.m., according to a CPD report.
Two men stepped out of the Charger, beat the man, and took his keys, police said. Then, they drove away with his neon green SUV. The suspects were described as Black males who wore facemasks with black and red clothing.
Police said the victim declined medical attention.
In the earlier case, a 28-year-old woman was getting into her white Jeep Cherokee when a car pulled up next to her on the 2400 block of West Walton around 8:30 p.m.
Two hijackers stepped out of the car and forced her to get out of the Jeep at gunpoint, police said.
The carjackers were two Black males who wore black ski masks, according to a CPD report. The primary offender, who wore a pink hoodie, displayed a large gun that may have been a rifle while the other wore a black hoodie.
Chicago police took reports for 133 carjackings during the first 19 days of December. That’s up 49% from 89 cases reported during the same dates last year and up 343% from 30 hijackings reported during the period in 2019.
Citywide, there were 1,776 carjacking reports this year through December 19, up from 1,353 at that point last year and 564 in 2019.
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