4 Charged In Elmhurst Car Theft: Police

ELMHURST, IL – Four people were charged in connection with the theft of a car from an Elmhurst dealership, among other crimes, authorities said.

Arrested were Xavier Carrasco, 19, of Lynwood; Matthew Perez, 24, of Chicago; Mariano Martinez, 18, of Chicago; and Jocelyn Gonzalez, 22, of Chicago, police said.

About 5 a.m. Feb. 11, an officer noticed that someone appeared to have broken into Al Piemonte Buick, 364 W. Grand Ave., police said. The east service bay doors were damaged.

About 20 minutes before, a black Cadillac SUV drove into the doors, with a Chevrolet SS also arriving, according to a news release from DuPage County prosecutors.

Carrasco got out of the Chevrolet, entered the dealership, retrieved keys for a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and left in the Jeep, which was valued at nearly $54,000, prosecutors said. The Cadillac was stolen shortly before from My Choice Motors, a half mile away on Grand Avenue, police said.

The suspects then went to a gas station in Berkeley, but sped away when a Berkeley police officer pulled in, police said.

On Thursday, nine days later, a Lisle police officer saw headlights in a parking lot at a car dealership. The officer found a Jeep Grand Cherokee that matched the description of the stolen one in Elmhurst, police said.

A stolen 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee was at the Elmhurst police station for processing last week. It was stolen from Al Piemonte Buick on Grand Avenue. The vehicle was seen during a public tour of the station Thursday. (David Giuliani/Patch)

The driver sped away with no lights on, traveling on Ogden Avenue and entering eastbound Interstate 88.

Shortly after, a Villa Park officer saw the Jeep with no lights on, speeding on I-88.

The driver did not pull over, reaching speeds of 130 mph, police said. Other agencies joined the chase onto Interstate 290, along with a Chicago police helicopter.

In an attempt to avoid spike strips, the Jeep swerved around an Oak Brook police officer, almost striking him, prosecutors said.

After losing control of the Jeep at the 17th Street exit, the four suspects got out of the car and jumped over a concrete median, running away on foot across I-290, police said.

With help from the helicopter, the four were arrested.

During the chase, Perez threw a Glock 2 handgun over a fence, and Martinez had a magazine that matched the Glock 20, prosecutors said.

In the Jeep, officers found a loaded AR rifle with 28 rounds in the magazine and a Springfield Armory 9mm Hellcat that was stolen in Cicero, police said.

"The blatant disregard for the rule of law allegedly exhibited by these defendants is astonishing," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the news release. "The successful apprehension of these four defendants sends a loud and clear message that in DuPage County, we will not tolerate the type of lawless, dangerous behavior as alleged in this case."

The three men were ordered to stay jailed until their trial; the woman was not.

Carrasco and Martinez were both charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and aggravated fleeing and eluding.

Perez was charged with two counts of aggravated possession of a stolen vehicle, two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding.

Gonzalez was charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding.