Victim's AirTag credited with leading police to robbery suspects, who go on to crash
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two robbery suspects were in police custody late Wednesday after a wild car chase led to a violent crash in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, the suspects might have gotten away – if not for an inconspicuous item in a victim's purse.
That item was an Apple tracker, which allowed police to figure out where the suspects were the entire time.
The suspects were in a black Jeep that flipped over at 31st Street and Wentworth Avenue next to the Dan Ryan Expressway. Their joyride ended after the Jeep crashed into another car.
Hours before the black Jeep lost control, police connected it to a robbery and attempted carjacking in Brighton Park.
On Wednesday afternoon, a 29-year-old woman was heading to her car near 45th and Mozart streets when she got the scare of her life. Family members told CBS 2 the black Jeep turned onto the block – and robbers ordered the woman to give up everything at gunpoint.
The woman complied – though the thieves did not succeed in getting her Honda. And when the woman handed over her purse, the thieves had no idea what was attached to her car keys.
It was an Apple AirTag – a tracker designed to help people find their keys.
In this case, the woman who was robbed used the tracker to trace the crooks' every move. She shared where they were with police.
The thieves saw police and got nervous. The driver took off.
While trying to get away, the Jeep ran into a Chrysler Sebring, causing a horrific crash at 31st and Wentworth – and injuring the innocent driver.
Both men on the Jeep were quickly arrested – and it looks like the AirTag tracker helped crack the case.
The two men suspected of the robbery were injured in the crash, along with the driver they slammed into. Emergency crews used the jaws of life to rescue the driver, and then rushed the person to a hospital in serious condition.
Charges against the robbery suspects are pending.