Lake County Gazette

Two teenagers have been identified and referred for charges in connection with the violent carjacking of a woman in unincorporated Libertyville, Illinois, earlier this year. The woman's two-year-old son was in the backseat of the vehicle when it was taken.

"Our detectives continued the investigation, working tirelessly, with the state’s attorney’s office, to hold the offenders accountable and provide the initial steps of justice for the victims," Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said. "Complex investigations like these require time and precision to ensure justice is served and I am very proud of everyone involved in this investigation."

According to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the investigation spanned several months due to its complexity and the effort required to build a solid evidentiary foundation. Detectives pursued dozens of leads, reviewed hours of video surveillance, examined physical evidence reports and cell tower data, conducted multiple interviews, and obtained subpoenas and search warrants for critical information.

The investigation identified two 17-year-old males—one from Waukegan and another from Lindenhurst—as suspects in the carjacking. Both are currently in custody on unrelated charges. Since they were juveniles at the time of the crime, they have been referred to juvenile court on charges of aggravated vehicular hijacking and vehicular hijacking. The Lake County State's Attorney's Office is working to transfer these charges to adult court; however, state law prohibits releasing their identities until that process is completed.

On February 23, 2023, sheriff's deputies responded around 3:35 p.m. to a residence on Route 137 in Libertyville following reports of a vehicular hijacking with a child still inside. The investigation revealed that a 34-year-old victim had pulled into her driveway and brought one child inside her home. Upon returning to retrieve her son from her car, she encountered an assailant who exited a white BMW parked behind her 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The offender battered her before stealing her vehicle with her child inside.

The news release said that as both vehicles fled the scene, one driver ran over the victim, causing serious injuries to her extremities. Despite this, she managed to call 911. Shortly thereafter, an individual at a business on Lakeside Drive in Waukegan reported seeing two vehicles enter their parking lot; one driver abandoned a small child before both vehicles left. The caller rescued the child before he wandered onto a busy roadway.

Volkswagen Car-Net initially refused to track the stolen vehicle with the abducted child until payment was received for reactivating its tracking device. Deputies eventually located the stolen Volkswagen near Casimir Pulaski Drive and Route 43.