Apparently lying in wait, two Chicago men followed a woman as she pulled her car into her garage and then hijacked the car at gunpoint, Cook County prosecutors said Saturday.
Police caught the men about an hour later in the South Chicago neighborhood after spotting the stolen car heading the wrong way on a one-way street, prosecutors said.
Esau Molina, 23, of the 2400 block of North Avers Avenue, and Adolfo Hernandez, 29, of the 3400 block of North Lavergne Avenue, allegedly followed the woman Thursday as she drove her 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer into her garage, Assistant State’s Attorney Sylvie Manaster said.
Hernandez and Molina quickly ran inside before she could close the garage door and stood on opposite sides of the silver car, according to court documents.
Hernandez demanded money from the woman as he held a silver handgun, prosecutors said. But the woman said she didn’t have anything and showed them her empty wallet and pockets.
Hernandez rifled through her pockets to see if he could find anything, Manaster said.
Then he fondled the woman and forced her to kiss him before ordering her to lie on the ground and hand over the car keys, court documents allege.
After she gave them the keys, the men jumped into the car and drove away, court documents state. The woman — whose address was not disclosed — then called 911, police said.
About an hour later, police saw the car going the wrong way on 84th Street near Buffalo Avenue. An officer stopped the car and saw Hernandez pull out a silver handgun and pass it to Molina, who quickly tossed the weapon back, police reports state. They sped off after the officer told them to get out of the car, reports state.
Police arrested the North Side men after they jumped out of the car in the 8700 block of South Exchange following a brief chase, reports show. Officers recovered the gun and discovered the car was stolen, according to the reports.
Molina and Hernandez are each charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm and criminal sexual abuse, both felonies. They were ordered held in lieu of $300,000 bond and are scheduled to appear in court Monday.