2 teens in custody after South Side carjacking, chase, crash
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A police chase that started with a carjacking ended in a crash on Chicago's South Side early Tuesday morning. It's the second violent carjacking in the neighborhood in the last few days.
Reginald Lark, 45, said he had car trouble near East 31st Street and South Martin Luther King Drive in the city's Bronzeville neighborhood overnight when someone started banging on his window and forced him out of his silver 2014 Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint.
"At that point, I looked again - he hit the window again - there was a gun in his hand," Lark said.
Two young teens, ages 14 and 15, demanded his money, shoes and clothes before jumping in his car and taking off.
"Proceeded to drive away like it was their car," Lark said.
Officers responding to the carjacking spotted the vehicle and gave chase. The driver ended up crashing underneath a UPS truck near East 63rd Street and South Prairie Avenue around 2:05 a.m., police said.
The two teens managed to get out of the car and started running, police said. They were caught about a block away, near East 62nd Street and South Indiana Avenue.
Officers reportedly used a Taser on them. They were transported to Comer Children's Hospital, where their conditions stabilized and they were taken into police custody.
Lark, who was not hurt, said he just wants to ask the young boys if it was worth the trouble.
"Was it worth it? What did you get out of it? You didn't get any money. The money is still in my pocket," Lark said.
Lark, who is a CTA driver, said he is on vacation this week. Ironically, the suspects crashed his car on his usual bus route.
A state trooper suffered a hand injury and the UPS driver suffered minor injuries.
The driver has been with the company for three years. He said he never saw the suspects, but felt the crash. He had to wait for the stolen car to be removed before he could make his delivery at 63rd and Prairie and continue with his work day.
Last Friday, a medical student from New York studying in Chicago, was carjacked just one block away. She was beaten and thrown to the ground by someone who wanted her car keys. She is expected to be OK.
This incident was one of several carjackings in the past few weeks. At least five other victims have had their cars, money and cell phones stolen at gunpoint. Some of the stolen cars were left unlocked or running.
The carjackings occurred in these locations:
-8431 South Manistee Avenue, Friday, July 28, 2017 at 11:00 p.m.
-8700 South Saginaw Avenue, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 at 2:07 a.m.
-8444 South Manistee Avenue, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017 at 5:05 a.m.
-7803 South East End Avenue, Monday, Aug. 7, 2017 at 2:00 a.m.
-7828 South Euclid Avenue, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017 at 8:45 p.m.
Anyone with information regarding these carjackings should call Area South detectives at 312-747-8273.
