A 24-year-old driver was carjacked at gunpoint on Chicago's North Side late Sunday, but police say the suspects did not stay free for long. A Chicago man and a teenage boy were arrested about 30 minutes later, a quick turnaround that highlights how officers have been zeroing in on stolen vehicles and moving in on suspects shortly after incidents.
The carjacking happened around 8 p.m. in the 5900 block of North Glenwood Avenue. Roughly half an hour later, officers located the stolen vehicle and arrested two suspects in the 8000 and 8100 blocks of South Paulina Street on the South Side. Police identified the adult as 19-year-old Cristian De Jesus Mazza Maita and said a 17-year-old boy was also taken into custody. Both are charged with multiple felonies, and Mazza Maita is due in court for a detention hearing on Wednesday, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Charges and department response
Authorities say the two face counts that include aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm and armed robbery with a firearm. The Chicago Police Department regularly posts charge releases in vehicular hijacking cases, outlining how these incidents are pursued as felony offenses by detectives and prosecutors. A representative release is available from the Chicago Police Department.
Alleged CTA platform robberies
Police say the 17-year-old suspect is also tied to two earlier robberies on CTA Red Line platforms. He is accused of taking part in an armed robbery of a 23-year-old at the North/Clybourn station on July 12, 2025, and an aggravated robbery of a 15-year-old at the Berwyn station on Oct. 31, 2025. Those additional allegations were included in the case summary provided to FOX 32 Chicago.
Citywide trend
The arrests land amid a broader pattern of street robberies and vehicular hijackings across Chicago in recent months. Local coverage has documented multiple cases in which officers and specialized teams have tracked stolen vehicles and moved in within an hour of reported crimes. As NBC Chicago has reported, detectives and the Vehicular Hijacking Task Force have made similarly quick arrests in other armed carjacking investigations, recovering vehicles and weapons.
What to watch next
Both suspects remain in custody as prosecutors review the case, and the next formal steps will be determined by the Cook County state's attorney's office. Police say the investigation into the Glenwood Avenue carjacking is ongoing and are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact detectives.
