A 24-year-old Aurora man has been arrested following a vehicular hijacking that took place on South Farnsworth Avenue Saturday afternoon.
According to police, at approximately 4:04pm Saturday officers responded to the area of South Farnsworth Avenue and Summerlin Drive, where they determined that a driver, the victim, had stopped after another vehicle struck him from behind, after which he exited his vehicle and was punched and kicked him in the face by the suspect, while a second man pushed him. The men then fled in his vehicle and the vehicle they arrived in.
The victim later sought treatment at a local hospital and was later released.
While patrol officers interviewed the victim and witnesses, personnel from the Critical Incident Intelligence Center (CIIC) reviewed license plate reader data and city camera footage, identifying the stolen vehicle traveling with a second vehicle. That review established the second vehicle’s registration, which was associated with a residence in the 500 block of Grand Avenue, where officers located both vehicles.
Officers established a perimeter around the residence, and crisis negotiators and the department’s Special Response Team responded to assist. The suspect voluntarily exited and was taken into custody at approximately 8:52pm.
Despite repeated efforts over several hours to persuade the second man to exit voluntarily, he remained inside. After detectives obtained a search warrant, the Special Response Team entered and took him into custody without incident at approximately 11:39pm., about seven hours after officers first arrived at the residence.
“This technology is an important tool in investigating violent crime,” said Aurora Chief of Police Matt Thomas. “In this case, license plate readers helped our CIIC personnel identify the stolen vehicle and a second vehicle traveling with it, providing a lead to their location. That information, combined with patrol officers’ work with the victim and witnesses and detectives’ follow-up investigation, helped recover the vehicle and bring charges. We will continue bringing technology and teamwork together to hold violent offenders accountable and deliver the public safety Aurora deserves.”
Following a review of the investigation, the suspect has been charged with Vehicular Hijacking (a Class 1 Felony); Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (a Class 2 Felony); Aggravated Battery on a Public Way (a Class 3 Felony); and Mob Action (a Class 4 Felony).
The suspect remains in custody at the Kendall County Public Safety Center pending a detention hearing. The second man was held on an outstanding criminal warrant and has not been charged in connection with the hijacking at this time. The circumstances surrounding his possible involvement remain under active investigation.