Boy, 16, and man, 19, charged with stealing SUV that struck bicyclist in West Town, Chicago police say

Surveillance video shows the SUV narrowly miss three other cyclists before hitting the Divvy biker

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Friday, May 29, 2020
2 charged with stealing SUV that struck bicyclist in West Town
A 16-year-old boy and 19-year-old man have been charged after he allegedly stole an SUV and hit a man riding a bicycle in Chicago's West Town neighborhood Wednesday night.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man have both been charged after Chicago police said the stole an SUV and hit a man riding a bicycle in Chicago's West Town neighborhood Wednesday night.

Both the boy and 19-year-old Elias Figueroa have been charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm in connection with the incident. Figueroa has also been charged with aggravated reckless driving, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon as well as four traffic citations.

Police said around 6:15 p.m. a 16-year-old boy and Figueroa were driving a stolen white Chevy Tahoe at high speed east on Hubbard Street when he struck a male on a Divvy bike traveling northbound on Ogden Avenue. The impact threw the victim off his bicycle and onto a gray four-door Toyota in another lane of traffic, according to police.

The Tahoe was reportedly stolen in a carjacking earlier Wednesday, around 3:20 p.m. in the 1200-block of North Cleaver Street in the Noble Square neighborhood.

Surveillance video shows the SUV narrowly miss three other cyclists before hitting the Divvy biker, tossing him onto the hood of another car. Then two people bailed from the Tahoe.

"One of my neighbors who lives a couple buildings down managed to be coming this direction and was very close to getting hit, but he is a bigger guy so he was able to jump out and grab one of the guys and pin him to the ground," said witness Miguel Vega.

The cyclist was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition and his condition later stabilized.

Police said the boy and Figueroa were both arrested at the scene.

Police said two weapons were recovered at the scene.