Overview

• Three teenagers, ages 13, 16 and 17, were arrested after a five-robbery spree on June 12 in the Oakland and Riverdale neighborhoods and charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking and armed robbery counts.
• Two preteens, ages 12 and 13, were taken into custody after allegedly carjacking a 27-year-old man and 24-year-old woman at gunpoint in Austin and stealing their 2014 Volkswagen Jetta.
• Police relied on helicopter surveillance and SWAT deployment to pursue the older teens after their stolen vehicle crashed and to locate the younger boys on the 1300 block of North Lamon within minutes of the Austin incident.
• All five suspects face felony counts filed by Cook County prosecutors and remain unnamed under Illinois juvenile court statutes protecting minors in criminal proceedings.
• Officials say these cases reflect a surge in youth-perpetrated violence this summer, prompting expanded task force operations and renewed debate over juvenile justice policies.