A pre-dawn robbery at a Shell gas station in Morton Grove ended with a crashed getaway car, a recovered Glock 17 with an extended magazine, and three Chicago teenagers in custody, according to police. Officers say the early Tuesday holdup set off a brief but intense pursuit that wrapped up before sunrise.
Two of the suspects are 15, and the third is 14. All three were charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated fleeing and eluding, and mob action, according to the Chicago Tribune. Investigators announced the arrests after retracing the chase and searching the crashed vehicle.
Morton Grove police say officers saw several people running from the Shell station in the 5600 block of Dempster Street just before 3 a.m. A short time later, they spotted a vehicle that appeared to be connected to the incident and attempted a traffic stop at Dempster Street and Milwaukee Avenue. The car took off north on Milwaukee and ultimately crashed in the 9400 block, where regional K-9 teams and a drone joined the search, according to Patch.
How police tracked the suspects
Officers say the teens ditched the crashed vehicle and tried to run, but they were taken into custody without further incident. Police recovered stolen property from the car, and Morton Grove Police Chief Michael Weitzel said, "All of the agencies involved in these initiatives are committed to working together to address crime that impacts our communities," according to Patch.
Charges and what’s next
The juveniles were taken to the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center while their cases move forward, authorities said. The center houses youth who are awaiting adjudication and provides on-site education and mental health services during that process, according to Cook County.
Morton Grove police are asking anyone with information about the robbery to call the department’s non-emergency line at 847-470-5200. Officials said the arrests were part of a regional crime-saturation mission involving neighboring departments, according to a release reported by the Chicago Tribune.
The Shell case lands amid a run of early-morning vehicle and property crimes in Morton Grove and nearby suburbs in recent weeks, including a January incident in which a homeowner said he was pistol-whipped and shot during an attempted car burglary, as reported by CBS Chicago. Police say the investigation into the gas station robbery is ongoing and are urging anyone with relevant footage or tips to contact detectives.
