On Aug. 25, at approximately 9 p.m., a 39 year old female Evanston resident was sitting in her vehicle in the 1200 block of Fowler Avenue when she was approached by two men, one of which brandished a handgun, said Commander Joe Dugan of the Evanston Police Department. The men demanded the woman’s vehicle, a black Mazda CX-9, and also took her wallet. The men were last seen traveling westbound on Dempster Street in stolen vehicle. The victim was not injured in the incident, said the Commander.
About three hours later on Aug. 26, at approximately 12:08 a.m., a 36 year old female Evanston resident had just parked her vehicle in the 1700 block of Washington Street, when she was approached by two men. One of the men brandished a handgun and demanded the woman’s keys and purse. The men fled in the victim’s grey Acura. The victim was not injured in the incident, said the Commander.
Officers responding to the call observed the Mazda from the earlier incident with the Acura following, eastbound on Harvard Terrace from Barton Avenue. Officers attempted to stop the vehicles, but they fled eastbound. When the vehicles approached Ridge Avenue, the Mazda continued eastbound and the Acura turned southbound. Officers pursued both vehicles, said the Commander.
The Mazda crashed into the security gate of a residence in the 200 block of Custer Avenue, with the driver fleeing on foot. The Acura proceeded into Chicago with the pursuit being terminated by patrol supervisors a short time later. The Acura was later located parked and unoccupied in the 1500 block of Jonquil Terrace. Officers recovered a loaded .38 caliber handgun and a cellphone from inside the Mazda. Both vehicles were towed to the Evanston Police Department for evidence processing, said the Commander.
Detectives assigned to the investigation were able to identify the owner of the cellular phone that was left in the stolen Mazda as being a male, 16 year old juvenile resident of Chicago. Subsequently, the juvenile was positively identified as the offender in the vehicular hijacking that occurred on Fowler Avenue, said the Commander.
On Oct. 20, at approximately 7 p.m., members of the Evanston Police tactical unit took the juvenile into custody in the 7600 block of north Bosworth Avenue with a loaded 9mm handgun. The juvenile was subsequently charged with one count of Felony Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking and another offense, said the Commander.