Chicago — Armed carjackers stole three vehicles in just over an hour on Thursday afternoon in the West Loop and on the Near North Side, according to Chicago police. A 6-year-old girl was inside one of the cars when the hijackers struck. Initial indications were that the three crimes might be related.
The first victim of the spree, a 64-year-old man, was targeted as he got out of his black Audi A6 at the Shell station, 350 West Chicago Avenue, around 4:05 p.m. Police said two hijackers confronted him with a handgun and drove away with his vehicle, followed by a dark-colored sedan.
Then, at 4:35 p.m., a 38-year-old woman and her 6-year-old girl were targeted as they sat in a black BMW SUV on the 100 block of South Sangamon.
Police said a black Audi sedan struck the back of their car as another vehicle pulled in front of them, and three men emerged. The offenders displayed a gun and ordered the woman and the child out of the car.
Chicago police officers found the carjacked BMW abandoned in the 3600 block of West Grenshaw a short time later, according to a CPD spokesperson.
Finally, around 5:17 p.m., a 26-year-old male valet attendant was targeted in the first block of North Carpenter. The police spokesperson said four men exited a black or blue sedan and demanded a set of car keys at gunpoint. He complied, and the crew escaped in a silver Infiniti Q50.
Officers found the Infiniti abandoned about 40 minutes later in the 5000 block of West Jackson.
On Wednesday, a hotel valet attendant was carjacked in the West Loop. The 25-year-old had just parked a customer’s BMW X3 when four men pulled up near him in the 100 block of North Green around 10:05 a.m. One of the hijackers ordered him to turn over the car keys, then drove away with the car, police said.
Police did not release descriptions of the hijackers.
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