Aurora police Monday found a stolen car involved in at least two crashes and a police chase last week.
An officer dispatched for a snow ordinance parking violation recovered the car, a green 2002 Isuzu Rodeo, at about 10:24 a.m. Monday on the 1200 block of Candlewood Court, police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said in an email. The car was towed to the Aurora Police Department, where police are processing it for evidence, Ferrelli said.
Around 5:45 p.m. Dec. 6, the car was reported stolen from a day care center parking lot on the 700 block of Long Grove Street, where a parent left it running while going inside to pick up a child, according to information from Ferrelli and traffic division Sgt. Dan Woods.
The car is suspected to have been used in two recent hit-and-run crashes, one that occurred shortly after it was stolen and the other Dec. 7, Ferrelli said. Someone driving the stolen car also led police on a chase in the city Dec. 7.
In the first crash, the Rodeo, with an unknown driver behind the wheel, rear-ended a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am stopped in traffic on Montgomery Road approaching Waterford Drive, Ferrelli said. The force of the crash sent the Grand Am into a 2015 Subaru WRX in front of it, Ferrelli said. The Rodeo drove away from the scene, he said.
In the second crash, around 12:40 p.m. Dec. 7, the Rodeo rear-ended a 2001 Ford Escape stopped on Old Indian Trail Road at the stop sign at Highland Avenue. The Rodeo driver again drove off after the crash, Ferrelli said.
Around 1:20 p.m. Dec. 7, special operations officers spotted the Rodeo on the 200 block of North Fourth Street. When the officers drove behind the car and attempted to pull it over, the driver, described as a male Hispanic between 30 and 35 years old dressed in dark clothing with a female passenger, took off, Ferrelli said.
The officers pursued the Rodeo through several near East Side streets and saw it disregard several traffic control devices, Ferrelli said. The Rodeo got eastbound on Indian Trail, drove into the westbound Indian Trail traffic lanes at Church Road, went through the red light at Church Road and proceeded eastbound to Farnsworth Avenue. Disregarding a stoplight at Reckinger Road, the car turned northbound onto Farnsworth. Police terminated the pursuit just south of Molitor Road due to safety concerns, Ferrelli said.
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