By Stephanie Casanova
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO —Chicago police said an 11-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with “several” recent carjacking cases.
The boy was arrested Friday on suspicion of felony aggravated vehicular carjacking, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said at a Monday morning news conference.
“Let me say that again, because that stops the conscience,” Brown said. “Our task force arrested an 11-year-old for a carjacking.”
The boy was arrested in connection to a Nov. 14 case where a 48-year-old woman was carjacked in the 4700 block of North Cumberland Avenue, according to police.
“This is a sad state of affairs,” Brown said. “Unfortunately this 11-year-old has been arrested before and he is considered a prolific carjacker in our city.”
Two weeks before Friday’s arrest, the boy was arrested and charged with being in a stolen car, Brown said. The vehicle had been taken in a carjacking in nearby Evergreen Park.
Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said detectives are investigating “several” carjackings that the boy may be tied to.
“He’s definitely a, I guess I would call (him a) strong participant in all of the events,” Deenihan said.
Brown said the boy will face juvenile charges as a result of the arrests.
The Police Department has made 1,292 carjacking-related arrests so far this year out of 1,635 reported carjacking incidents, Brown said. Of those, 288 were for vehicular hijacking, 352 were for possession of a stolen car and 642 were for criminal trespass to a vehicle, meaning someone was in a stolen car, Brown said.
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