How U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter crews are helping Chicago Police track suspects
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A stealthy group of pilots work under the cover of night to keep Chicago's streets safe.
CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey dug into how U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been leading a hand to the Chicago Police Carjacking Task Force. Last month, CBP helped track down two suspects wanted in the shooting of a 12-year-old.
That shooting happened near 21st Place and Wood Street in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood. The 12-year-old boy was standing outside when he was shot in the head and critically wounded. The Air and Marine Operations team helped track the suspects in the shooting from the air - until they were taken into custody.
At the time of the shooting, the boy was on his way back from a toy store to a family party - along with two other 12-year-old boys and two young men who were his uncles. They were all standing near the alley when police said shots were fired from a black Dodge Charger with no license plates.
Chicago Police started chasing the car, but had to stop.
"The car was traveling at such a high rate of speed, they had to stop following it," said Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan.
So the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations swooped in.
"It was being in the right place at the right time," said Marc Sledge, the Detroit-based director of CPB Air and Marine Operations. "The guys were able to locate the Charger - a Charger - that matched the description to ground units."
They tracked the car all the way to west suburban Hinsdale, where police arrested three people - charging two of them with attempted murder.
Izaiah Renteria, 22, and Pedro Molina, 23, both stand charged with five counts of attempted murder. Renteria, who police said was driving the getaway car, was also charged with three counts of aggravated fleeing.
"Without that helicopter, we're just not able to do this," Deenihan said.
"The value that we provide is providing really a unique situational awareness - not only for officer safety, but to improve the law enforcement operation, just because we can see things that not everybody else on the ground can," added Sledge.
Sledge's team join forces with CPD back in March 2021, and he says they've had success, particularly in carjacking cases.
For the pilots on Sledge's team, the infrared vision capabilities can be a game-changer. And Sledge says offenders sometimes let their guard down — not realizing there's a covert chopper still following them from the skies.
"We're not dealing with stop signs, speed limits, traffic, road construction," Sledge said. "They can stay there, and they have lots of fuel for loitering."
Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 19, operations involving Air and Marine Operations and its partners led to the felony arrests of 66 people, recovery of 114 stolen vehicles, 13 carjacked vehicles, and 25 guns in Chicago.
While there is still work to be done, Sledge says he is happy with the progress they've made so far - and will continue this partnership in the future.
As for the criminal case against Renteria and Molina, it is still ongoing – with a hearing set for next week.