Crime & Safety
Teens Accused Of Stealing Car In Downers Grove
Police say teens, ages 14 and 15, tried to steal two cars and fled police before stealing a car that was later found in Chicago.
![Police say four teens tried to steal two cars and fled police before stealing a car from a parking garage.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/22925010/20240809/104942/styles/patch_image/public/downers-grove-police-car-___09100322644.jpg)
DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Three teens between the ages 14 and 15 have been arrested in connection with a carjacking that took place in Downers Grove on Aug. 3. Police say they identified a fourth teen, but have not yet made an arrest.
Before the teens stole a car, police say they tried to steal two other vehicles.
Officers were called to a parking deck in Downers Grove around 12:30 a.m. after someone reported that the teens broke the back window of a 2018 Hyundai Elantra to gain entry and then tried unsuccessfully to start the car.
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Police say they were not able to start the Hyundai, which prompted them to head to the road, where they blocked a woman's car, kicked the door and called her an expletive. The driver called police, which prompted the teens to flee on foot, according to a news release.
The teens were later spotted near the intersection of Main and Maple, but they fled. At that time, police took one of the teens into custody.
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According to police, the remaining three teens went back to the parking garage around 4 a.m. and stole a 2017 Hyundai Tucson that was later recovered in Chicago.
“At just fourteen and fifteen-years-old, the juveniles charged in this case now find themselves facing multiple serious felony charges,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.
He added, "In DuPage County we have zero tolerance for such violent behavior, and anyone accused of such, regardless of their age, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
One of the teens is set to appear in court Aug. 14, and two teens have court on Aug. 15.
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