Why Teens Carjack In Chicago? They Use Cars To Commit More Crimes, Or Simply To Get Around Town
CHICAGO (CBS) – Nicole is a 15-year-old girl, and she doesn't even know how many cars she has stolen by force.
She says she used a knife to take the cars from unsuspecting drivers at least six times.
"I don't know, I don't count," she told CBS 2's Irika Sargent.
In an online conversation with Erin Moriarty of CBS's "48 Hours" previewing her reporting on the teen carjacking trend, Sargent said she found the offenders are getting younger every year—some as young as 11 years old.
Nicole says she feels guilt.
"I am trying to be different," she said. "I want to leave that in the past. I don't want to be that person no more."
Nicole said she has an advantage as a teenage girl, because drivers wouldn't suspect a female carjacker.
The teenagers often use the cars to commit other crimes, including drive-by shootings. Others sell the cars for a few thousand dollars or even use the vehicle to get around town.