Following an extensive and detailed investigation since a carjacking and kidnapping was reported on February 23, 2023 in unincorporated Libertyville, Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives have identified two teens involved in the violent carjacking of a woman, when the woman’s two-year-old son, who was in the backseat of the car, was also taken.
The investigation spanned several months due to the complexity of the case and the thorough work required to build a strong evidentiary foundation. Detectives pursued dozens of leads, meticulously reviewing hours of video surveillance, physical evidence reports, and cellular tower data. They also conducted multiple interviews with witnesses and persons of interest, and obtained subpoenas and search warrants to access critical information. Each step was crucial to ensure all findings were verified and could withstand judicial scrutiny.
The investigation ultimately identified two 17-year-old males—one from Waukegan and one from Lindenhurst — as the individuals responsible for the crime. Both offenders, now 19 years old, are in custody on unrelated charges.
Because both offenders were juveniles at the time of this crime, they were referred to the juvenile court system on the following charges:
Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking
Vehicular Hijacking
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is currently working to have these charges transferred and tried in adult court. Until this process is completed, the Illinois Juvenile Court Act prohibits the release of the offenders’ identities.
“When this crime occurred, nearly every division of the sheriff’s office was involved in trying to locate the child and identify the offenders. 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. Complex investigations like these require time and precision to ensure justice is served and I am very proud of everyone involved in this investigation.”
— Sheriff John D. Idleburg
“The thorough and determined work of our prosecutors, in collaboration with sheriff’s detectives, reflects our commitment to holding violent offenders accountable. This long-term investigation demonstrates the dedication of our office to pursuing justice for victims and ensuring that those responsible for such heinous acts are brought to justice. We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our community.”
— State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
— Lake County Sheriff’s Office
A white BMW with right, rear damage, connected to the carjacking and kidnapping of a child in Libertyville in February 2023, was recovered in Waukegan on Sunday March 5, 2023. The white BMW had been stolen from a car dealership in February 2023, and was used as a chase vehicle when a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas was carjacked in the driveway of a home in unincorporated Libertyville on February 23, 2023. The child’s mother was seriously injured, and underwent a long period of treatment and rehabilitation after she was run over by a carjacker.
CARJACKING/KIDNAPPING TIMELINE
Kidnapping/Carjacking ~ 3:35p Thu. 2/23/23
Child found ~ 4:00p Thu. 2/23/23
Volkwagen recovered ~ 4:35p Thu. 2/23/23
BMW recovered ~ Sun. 3/5/23
Two suspect charged ~ January 2025
The kidnapped child was found safe, and the Volkswagen was recovered within an hour of the carjacking and kidnapping, but the offenders remained at large. Both the Volkswagen and the BMW were processed for fingerprints, DNA evidence, and any other evidence available. The BMW had right, rear damage prior to the carjacking.
INITIAL REPORT …
Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded about 3:35 p.m. Thursday, February 23, 2023, to a residence in the 16000 block of Route 137, unincorporated Libertyville, for a vehicular hijacking with a two-year-old child still inside the vehicle.
Preliminary investigation shows the 34-year-old victim just returned to her residence. She pulled into her driveway and brought one of her children inside. She came back to her car to retrieve her other child — her two-year-old son — when the driver in a white BMW (2000’s model, black bumper, and loud exhaust) pulled into her driveway, and parked behind her car (she was driving the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas).
A male offender (described as being tall, thin, wearing a grey zip-up hooded sweatshirt, and a light green facemask) exited the passenger side of the BMW and struggled to get into the victim’s Volkswagen, as she tried to keep her two-year-old son safe. The offender battered the woman, knocking her to the ground. He then stole her car with the 2 year-old child inside. The carjacker drove away in the Volkswagen with the child inside, and the driver of the BMW drove away — both drivers fled the scene. One of the drivers ran her over as they fled, causing serious injuries to her extremities. The victim was still able to call 911 and Lake County sheriff’s deputies immediately responded.
Knowing a child was inside the vehicle, sheriff’s detectives also immediately responded to the scene and the general area to search for the Volkswagen.
A short time later, a person working at a business in the 2200 block of Lakeside Drive, Waukegan, called 911 to report that two vehicles entered the parking lot, and the driver of one of the cars abandoned a small child. The drivers of both vehicles then fled in the two vehicles. The 911 caller at the business rescued the child from the parking lot, before the child wandered onto the busy roadway. Waukegan Police Officers and Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene. Sheriff’s personnel confirmed the found child was the abducted child.
While searching for the stolen vehicle and endangered child, sheriff’s detectives immediately called Volkswagen Car-Net, in an attempt to track the vehicle. Unfortunately, there was a delay, as Volkswagen Car-Net would not track the vehicle with the abducted child until they received payment to reactivate the tracking device in the stolen Volkswagen.
Sheriff’s deputies located the stolen Volkswagen in a parking lot near Casmir Pulaski and Route 43. The vehicle was thoroughly processed for trace evidence.
On February 23, 2023, the woman who was battered and run over remained at Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Condell Medical Center in serious, but stable condition.
Lake County Sheriff’s detectives continued looking for the BMW, which had been stolen in the preceding week from a car dealership in Waukegan. If you have any information about this incident, please call the Lake County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division at 847-377-4000 or contact Lake County CrimeStoppers at: www.lakecountycrimestoppers.org
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
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