CHICAGO — Armed carjackers struck twice in Lakeview overnight, taking vehicles from victims about one mile from each other on Ashland Avenue, according to Chicago police. The same crew is believed to be responsible for both crimes.
The first victim, an 18-year-old man, was hijacked as he entered his car in the 3200 block of North Ashland around 2:20 a.m., police said.
He told cops that two men got out of a black Jeep and pointed a gun at him, demanding the keys to his black Honda Civic. They also took his phone and wallet before fleeing with the car, which was equipped with a LoJack tracking device.
The Jeep they used was stolen in Humboldt Park over the weekend, according to police records.
Another carjacking was reported at 3:43 a.m. in the 4000 block of North Ashland, across the street from Lake View High School.
Police said three men armed with a gun got out of a black sedan and carjacked a man and woman who were parking their red 2023 Dodge Charger rental car on the street.
The Charger and the sedan left the area together.
Officers who tracked the black Honda Civic’s LoJack found some of the second carjacking victims’ property in an alley behind the 2600 block of North Wayne around 4 a.m. The cops also recovered a different car’s LoJack device in the alley, but an officer said the Civic was gone when they arrived.
Cops continued to track the LoJack-equipped car, and they even spotted it traveling with a Dodge Charger through the Heart of Chicago neighborhood around 5:15 a.m., according to CPD radio transmissions.
So far, though, no arrests have been announced.
The police did not release descriptions of the carjacker.
Carjacking reports were down 28% through the first six months of this year compared to 2022, according to CPD. But the number of cases remains well above the levels seen before hijacking reports began soaring in 2020.
The department said that 62% of people arrested for carjacking this year were juveniles.