A West Side man has been charged with carjacking a woman near a busy intersection in Old Town earlier this year. Chicago police found the victim’s car on fire just minutes after the hijacking occurred around 2:41 a.m. on April 26.
Judge Luciano Panici Jr. detained Tyron Rivera, 32, on one count of vehicular hijacking.
According to prosecutors, a 36-year-old woman was seated in her car in the 1600 block of North LaSalle Street when Rivera approached and pointed an object she believed was a firearm. The object turned out to be a phone, prosecutors said. Rivera then violently pulled the woman from her car and drove off in her white 2025 Honda SUV.
The hijacking was captured on video, which helped police identify Rivera. A CPD report said investigators found evidence that Rivera had “communication” before, during, and after the hijacking with an unidentified accomplice.
About ten minutes later, 911 callers reported a vehicle on fire in the 1700 block of North Vine Street — about three-quarters of a mile west of LaSalle. It turned out to be the woman’s SUV, according to the police report.
The victim later identified Rivera in a photo lineup as the man who carjacked her and CPD officers recently located and arrested Rivera to face charges.
