A 16-year-old boy is charged with carjacking a man in Edgewater on Tuesday afternoon. Chicago police recovered the victim’s van and arrested the teen about one block from the hijacking scene.
The victim was in the 1400 block of West Elmdale when two people stepped out of a black sedan, pushed him to the ground, and took his keys around 4:30 p.m. They then drove away in his vehicle.
Officers found the victim’s Chrysler Town & Country minivan abandoned in the 1400 block of West Thorndale and arrested the 16-year-old nearby. The second suspect got away.
Carjacking cases in Chicago continue to be reported at even higher rates than last year’s record-setting pace. CPD took 972 hijacking reports this year through July, up 7% from last year, according to city data. There were 621 cases through July 2020 and 304 during the period in 2019.
The city had 167 carjackings during July, up 11% from last year. There were 149 cases in July 2020 and 53 in July 2019.
City records show that Chicago police have made arrests in slightly less than 7% of this year’s hijackings. The arrest rate for 2021 carjackings is 13%. It’s important to note that arrest rates for previous years are typically higher than current periods because police have had more time to identify offenders and secure charges from the state’s attorney’s office.
In 2021, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges in 75% of carjacking cases that Chicago police brought in, according to the prosecutor’s office data.
