Carjacker Forces Woman Into Her Trunk, Crashes 23 Miles Away
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A carjacker forced a woman into the trunk of her car in Wrigleyville on Thursday night, and her attacker drove her 23 miles to the West Pullman neighborhood before crashing into a tree.
Police said a man with a gun approached the 24-year-old woman in the back yard of an apartment building in the 3700 block of North Fremont Street around 8:20 p.m., and forced her to get into the trunk of her 2012 Mazda sedan.
The man then drove her across the city, making at least three stops at liquor stores on the South Side, before crashing into a tree near 115th and Throop around 10 p.m.
Police said the carjacker fled the scene, and the woman was able to escape and call for help. She was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for treatment of minor injuries.
The victim's neighbors said it was frightening to hear of her ordeal.
"I usually feel safe around here, but I know I hear about things that happen, so I'm always cautious," Ellie Braidia said.
Georgie Bourgeois said it's especially dark in the back alley where the attack happened.
"Especially because it gets dark pretty early; like, what, six? So whenever you walk in the back alley, the only lighting you have are from people driving out of their garages, and then maybe lights from houses," she said.
Still, Bourgeois said it was surprising an attack like that would happen in Wrigleyville.
"I mean, you have a lot of kids walking around. It's not something that you'd really associate with this area; but, still, we do know there's a lot of crazy stuff that happens around here," she said.
The carjacker was described as a heavyset black man in his 30s, about 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, with a goatee. He was wearing khaki pants and a red sweatshirt.
No one is in custody Friday afternoon. Chicago Police will increase patrols in the Wrigleyville area and on the Red Line.