An 18-year-old woman and two 15-year-old boys are charged with robbery for allegedly taking a woman’s car in Lincoln Park and then crashing it in Streeterville this week. But there is even better news: the 15-year-olds are prime suspects in a series of crimes, including a string of auto thefts and robberies of women that has plagued the local neighborhood for a month.
On Monday evening, a woman parked her car in the 2300 block of North Clark on Monday evening and went into a nearby business. While she was there, one of the 15-year-olds stuck his hand into her pocket to get her car keys and knocked her to the floor, prosecutors said.
The woman fought off the teen, but the second juvenile jumped in to help fight her as Precious Taylor, 19, held the business’ front door open, Assistant State’s Attorney Steven Haamid said. After getting the woman’s keys, the trio ran to her Audi Q5 and climbed inside, he continued.
Haamid said that Taylor locked the car’s doors as the woman tried to open the passenger door. The woman had to jump back to avoid being run over as the crew sped away with her car.
Police intercepted the car on Lake Shore Drive and its driver, identified in a CPD report as one of the juveniles, crashed into another car that was making a turn at Chicago Avenue. Taylor and the boys ran from the car, Haamid said, but cops arrested all of them within a few minutes.
Taylor has no criminal history, said Assistant Public Defender Michael Grady, who also noted that Taylor “clearly needs to make better decisions.”
She is charged with robbery and criminal trespass to a vehicle.
Speaking from the bench, Judge David Navarro said, “This is not only a robbery, but a vehicular hijacking as described to me in the proffer.”
He held Taylor in lieu of $50,000 bail. She must post 10% of that amount to get out of jail.
Both juveniles are charged with robbery and possessing a stolen motor vehicle. One of them is also charged with leaving the scene of an accident, which is a misdemeanor.
A law enforcement source told CWBChicago that the 15-year-olds are two of the three suspects in a series of at least 12 robberies in which women were targeted on the streets near this week’s robbery. Police believe the crew has also stolen dozens of cars from the same area and nearby Lakeview, likely starting sometime last year.
The source said police have recovered more than 20 cars stolen from Lakeview and Lincoln Park near one of the 15-year-old’s suburban home.