A 29-year-old Chicago man was charged last week in a vehicle theft in which the 18-year-old daughter of the victim was still in the car at the time of the incident in Elmwood Park.
Alberto Clara, 29, of the 2100 block of North Moody Avenue, Chicago, was charged with vehicular hijacking, possession of a stolen vehicle and other related charges in an incident that took place in Elmwood Park.
Officers responded to a vehicle theft around 11 p.m. May 11 in the 1600 block of North 74th Avenue. When they arrived at the scene, the victim told officers he had been driving with his 18-year-old daughter. He stepped out of his vehicle while it was still running for a brief period of time. While he was away, Clara reportedly took advantage of the fact the victim had left the keys in the ignition by entering the vehicle and diving away.
Officers allege Clara had stolen the vehicle so quickly that he didn’t realize the victim’s daughter was in the back seat. Meanwhile, officers said the daughter was so engrossed in her cellphone that she didn’t initially realize the man that had returned to the vehicle wasn’t her father. When she finally registered that Clara was driving and not her father, the daughter demanded Clara get out of the vehicle. Officers allege the daughter startled Clara, but he didn’t get out and instead ordered her out of the vehicle when he pulled over in the 6900 block of North Avenue.
After the daughter got out of the vehicle, Clara reportedly “dumped the stolen vehicle” and then committed another carjacking somewhere on Cicero Avenue in Chicago. By this time, Elmwood Park police had notified nearby law enforcement agencies of Clara’s alleged theft. Because of this, investigators from Elmwood Park and Chicago were able to track Clara down and arrest him around 12:30 a.m. May 12 in the 4800 block of Cortland Avenue. Clara appeared in bond court later that day and was ordered held on $75,000. He was expected to appear in court again on May 18.
“We worked closely with Chicago police, and this was an example of great teamwork,” Elwood Park Police Chief Frank Fagiano said. “And we encourage our residents to not leave their keys in an unattended car for any period of time.”
Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.