Two people were arrested Monday after an adult woman’s car was taken at gunpoint on the 700 block of Bluff City Boulevard in Elgin, then tracked across several suburbs before officers finally stopped it in Chicago. Police say the vehicle was followed through multiple communities and that both occupants were taken into custody without incident. Authorities report that the suspects now face felony charges authorized by the Kane County State’s Attorney's Office.
In a Facebook post, the Elgin Police Department said the incident started shortly after 12:15 p.m. on June 8, when an unknown man displayed a firearm, ordered the driver out of her vehicle and then a male and female got in and fled. Detectives in the department’s Major Investigations Division, working with the Illinois State Police and neighboring departments, coordinated the search, according to the Elgin Police Department.
How the pursuit crossed the western suburbs
Police say the stolen vehicle was later spotted by officers in Bartlett and Villa Park as it moved through the western suburbs, but attempts to stop it there did not work. Chicago officers ultimately pulled the vehicle over at Van Buren Street and Springfield Avenue, where both occupants were arrested without incident, according to the account police provided to the Daily Herald. Multiple agencies, including the Illinois State Police, assisted in tracking the car.
Charges the suspects are facing
Elgin police identified the suspects as 37-year-old Anthony Tyson and 37-year-old Nichole Pino and said Kane County prosecutors authorized charges. Tyson faces multiple counts, including aggravated vehicular hijacking, armed violence, two counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding, unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Pino is charged with unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, the department said in its Facebook post, according to the Elgin Police Department. Police say both will be transported to the Kane County Justice Center for a pre-trial detention hearing.
What a Class X felony means in Illinois
Aggravated vehicular hijacking is treated as a Class X felony in certain circumstances under Illinois law, and firearm-related enhancements can add mandatory years to any sentence. The Illinois Compiled Statutes outline the offense and sentencing framework, including added penalties when a firearm is used or discharged during the crime (720 ILCS 5/18-4).
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Elgin Police non-emergency line at (847) 289-2700, the city’s police directory shows. Detectives say they are still gathering details and encourage tips through the department’s channels as the Major Investigations Division continues its probe.
