Two suspects charged after violent carjacking of Uber driver in Zion leads to chase across Lake County

Deputies walk a 17-year-old suspect to an ambulance after he allegedly fled from a stolen Subaru (right) after a vehicle pursuit and hid in a garbage can before being bitten by a sheriff’s K-9 in Waukegan early Sunday morning. Anais Butler, 18, of Zion, (inset) was also arrested in connection with the carjacking. | Background Photos: Woo-Sung Shim

Charges have been filed against a juvenile and a second teenager accused of violently carjacking an Uber driver in Zion and leading police on a pursuit that began in Lake Forest and ended in Waukegan on Sunday.

The Zion Police Department responded at approximately 11:34 p.m. Saturday to the area of Lewis Avenue and 23rd Street for a report of an aggravated vehicular hijacking.

Zion Police Department Lt. Derek Zaloudek said officers located a 60-year-old male Uber driver who reported that his red Subaru Forester had been forcibly stolen by two males in the 2200 block of Matthew Place.

According to Zaloudek, the two suspects, later identified as 18-year-old Anais Butler of Zion and a 17-year-old Zion boy, pulled the victim from the driver’s seat before taking the vehicle.

The masked suspects allegedly threw the victim to the ground, threatened to shoot him, and then fled eastbound on 23rd Street in the victim’s Subaru.

Officers issued an emergency alert to surrounding law enforcement agencies and launched an investigation.

Zaloudek said several Lake County police departments located the Subaru and attempted to stop it shortly after the carjacking.

The vehicle fled from Lincolnshire police officers at approximately 12:50 a.m. Sunday and was last seen traveling eastbound on Route 22 near Oxford Drive in Lincolnshire.

Highland Park police officers later spotted the Subaru at approximately 2:30 a.m., and it was last seen traveling westbound on Route 22 from Route 41 in Highland Park.

Moments later, Vernon Hills police officers observed the vehicle traveling northbound on Route 21 from Route 22 and attempted a traffic stop, according to police radio traffic.

Vernon Hills officers subsequently terminated the pursuit, and the Subaru continued fleeing eastbound on Route 60 from St. Mary’s Road in Mettawa at a high rate of speed.

At approximately 2:40 a.m., Lake Forest police officers spotted the Subaru near Route 41 and Old Elm Road and initiated a pursuit, according to police radio traffic.

Lake Forest officers pursued the vehicle northbound on Green Bay Road through Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

According to police radio traffic, the Subaru then turned eastbound onto Buckley Road from Green Bay Road before continuing northbound on Sheridan Road through North Chicago and into Waukegan.

The pursuit came to an end at approximately 2:50 a.m. near 8th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Waukegan.

Zaloudek said Butler and the unnamed 17-year-old juvenile fled from the vehicle on foot.

Numerous officers from surrounding law enforcement agencies, including the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Waukegan Police Department, responded to assist.

Butler was taken into custody a short time later on Browning Avenue east of Genesee Street.

The juvenile suspect initially remained at large and was reportedly seen fleeing northbound toward May Street.

Officers established a perimeter and began searching the area for the second suspect.

Lake County Sheriff’s K-9 Lux and his handler, Deputy John Forlenza, tracked the juvenile for approximately a half-mile before locating him hiding inside a garbage can near Genesee Street and May Street, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.

“The suspect refused to surrender, even after several canine warning announcements were made, and was taken into custody without incident,” Covelli said.

“K9 Lux did bite the offender in the arm during the apprehension, due to the offender’s non-compliance during the apprehension,” Covelli added.

While handcuffed in the back seat of a squad car at the scene, the second suspect, who was found hiding in the garbage can, told a Pulse Radio 96.1 reporter that he had nothing to do with the stolen Subaru.

When asked whether he had been driving the Subaru, he told the reporter, “hell naw, I wasn’t driving no Subaru. I don’t even know how to drive.”

He said he was 17 years old, had moved to Zion two months earlier, and was currently on parole.

He also told the reporter that he had not run from police and claimed he was inside the garbage can because of the cold weather.

“I didn’t run from s–t!” he said. “I’ve been sitting in the trash can for like a while now.”

He also told the reporter that he was bleeding from his leg.

The Waukegan Fire Department responded to the scene and transported both suspects to the hospital. After being treated and released, they were transferred into the custody of the Zion Police Department.

Zaloudek said interviews and corroborating evidence led to both Butler and the 17-year-old juvenile being charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, a Class X felony; possession of a stolen vehicle, a Class 1 felony; and vehicular hijacking, a Class 2 felony.

The Zion Police Department thanked the Lincolnshire Police Department, Highland Park Police Department, Vernon Hills Police Department, and Lake Forest Police Department for their assistance, as well as the Waukegan Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office for “their invaluable help with locating and taking the offenders into custody.”

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lillian Lewis said the Uber driver had picked up the two suspects. Butler allegedly told officers he had pre-planned the carjacking with the juvenile so they could “chill” and “ride around.”

Butler is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing Tuesday afternoon.