ILLINOIS STATE POLICE FIGHT BACK AGAINST VEHICLE HIJACKING AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is targeting vehicle theft, hijacking, and related violence crimes using a $10 million Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council grant from the Illinois Secretary of State.

“To stop vehicle theft and hijacking crimes, the Illinois State Police utilizes increased patrol presence, air operations support, automated license plate readers, investigations, and forensic services,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.

From July through September 2023, ISP missions resulted in the following:

Highlights of ISP vehicle recovery efforts:

• July 15, 2023, at approximately 2:52 p.m., ISP attempted to stop a vehicle in the area of I-294 southbound at Lake Cook Road that had been taken in an aggravated vehicular hijacking.  The suspect hijacked another vehicle in Northbrook before being taken into custody.

• August 10, 2023, at approximately 7:45 p.m., ISP pursued a Dodge that was wanted in an aggravated vehicular hijacking northbound on I-94 near 87th Street in Chicago.   With the assistance of air support, officers tracked the vehicle and were able to take two adults and one juvenile into custody.  A firearm was also recovered.

• August 19, 2023, at approximately 1:19 a.m., ISP pursued a Toyota that had been taken in an aggravated vehicular hijacking on I-94 southbound at 71^st Street.  The Toyota crashed in the 900 block of South Clark Street in Chicago.  A juvenile was taken into custody and two loaded firearms were recovered.

• August 27, 2023, at approximately 10:44 p.m., ISP pursued a Mitsubishi that had been taken in an aggravated vehicular hijacking.  Using automatic license plate readers and air support, officers tracked the vehicle until it crashed in the 8000 block of South Halstead Street in Chicago.  Three juveniles were taken into custody and a firearm was recovered.

• September 5, 2023, at approximately 11:44 p.m., ISP attempted to stop a vehicle that had been taken in an aggravated vehicular hijacking approximately 12 hours prior at 63^rd and Halstead Street in Chicago.  The vehicle crashed and one juvenile and one adult were taken into custody.  A firearm was also recovered.

• September 7, 2023, at approximately 10:15 a.m., ISP  located a vehicle that was wanted in an aggravated vehicular hijacking on 42^nd Street westbound over I-94.  ISP attempted to stop the vehicle and the vehicle fled.  The vehicle crashed in the 6000 block of  S. Perry Avenue in Chicago and the driver was taken into custody and a fire was recovered.

• September 17, 2023, at approximately 11:14 p.m., ISP, with the assistance of automatic license plate readers and air support, pursued a Toyota that was taken in an aggravated vehicular hijacking.  The vehicle crashed in the 2300 block on N. Halsted Street in Chicago and the driver was taken into custody.

• September 27, 2023, at approximately 9:56 p.m., ISP, with assistance from air support, pursued a Chevrolet taken in an aggravated vehicular hijacking.  The Chevrolet stopped in the 100 block of East 84^th Street in Chicago and five suspects fled on foot.  All five suspects were taken into custody.