A 14-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday after Chicago police say he carjacked a 75-year-old woman with a disability on the Near West Side. Officers said the incident happened around 1:30 p.m., when the victim was forced out of her vehicle in the 500 block of West Taylor Street. The teen was later taken into custody in North Lawndale, and his name is not being released because he is a juvenile.
Police have charged the boy with aggravated vehicular hijacking involving a person with a disability, according to WGN-TV. The outlet reports that officers detained the youth near the 1400 block of South Central Park Avenue after investigators responded to the scene. Authorities have not yet announced a court date.
The arrest lands amid a series of high-profile youth-involved carjacking cases on the West Side, even as reporting and city data show those incidents peaked in 2021 and have declined since. A WBEZ examination of juvenile crews and police responses points to the work of the Vehicular Hijacking Task Force, which tracks stolen vehicles and makes arrests. That unit and its tactics have been credited with faster vehicle recoveries and more arrests after carjackings.
What the charge means
Under Illinois law, aggravated vehicular hijacking applies when a motor vehicle is taken from someone by force or threat and the victim is a person with a physical disability or is 60 or older. That status enhances the offense and increases potential penalties for adults. The Illinois Criminal Code lays out those provisions. Because the suspect in this case is a minor, it will initially move through juvenile court unless prosecutors pursue a transfer to adult court under separate rules.
What comes next
Police say the investigation remains active and are asking anyone with information to contact detectives, according to WGN-TV. Since the defendant is a juvenile, his identity is being withheld and many related filings will stay under juvenile-court confidentiality rules.
