Three Cook County men, two of whom are currently on parole for aggravated vehicular hijacking, led authorities on a wild chase Wednesday evening that began in Bellwood and ended in Aurora with their arrest.
The men have been charged in DuPage County for a number of felonies, including armed violence and weapons charges, as well as fleeing and eluding. In Kane County, charges were brought for home invasion and trespassing.
On Wednesday, officers with the Bellwood Police Department initiated pursuit of a Green Jeep suspected of being involved in a shooting. At approximately 5:50pm, an officer with the Oak Brook Police Department observed the Jeep traveling on I-88 being followed by Bellwood and Hillside squad cars. The Oak Brook officer joined in pursuit of the Jeep which, according to police, reached speeds of approximately 115 mph, driving on both the left and right side shoulders and weaving in and out of traffic before exiting I-88 onto Orchard Road in Kane County.
During the pursuit, the Oak Brook officer allegedly observed two firearms thrown from the passenger side of the Jeep. During an investigation into the matter, Naperville police officers subsequently recovered a Glock 43X that was reported stolen out of Riverdale and a loaded Ruger .223 rifle.
The Jeep ultimately made his way to Shagbark Lane where the driver drove into the backyard of a residence in the 6S400 block of Shagbark Lane. It is alleged that at some point in time, two of the defendants exited the Jeep and fled on foot. A short time later the driver was located in the Jeep in the 100 block of North Deerpath lane and taken into custody. When canvassing the area, authorities located one of the defendants in the basement of a residence on Blackberry Ridge Drive and and the other seated in a work van on Blackberry Ridge Drive.
“It is alleged that these three defendants, two of whom are convicted felons currently on parole and consequently prohibited from legally possessing a firearm, were in possession of two firearms as the driver of their vehicle fled authorities at a high rate of speed in rush hour traffic,” Berlin said. “Thanks to the cooperative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies through three counties, the defendants were safely taken into custody and now face serious felony charges.”
The next court appearance for all three defendants is scheduled for April 6, 2026, in front of Daniel Guerin.
