Report: Felon Accused of Carjacking Chicago Woman, Leading Cops on 102 MPH Chase

A felon has been accused of carjacking a woman in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, then leading police on a high-speed chase, according to a report.

Fifty-one-year-old Charles Platt was ordered held without bail on Thursday, per CWB Chicago.

According to Chicago police, the incident happened November 15 while a woman was exiting her vehicle on North Sawyer and the suspect and another man approached.

The outlet continued:

As she grabbed her backpack from the car, Platt put the woman into a headlock and told her that his companion would shoot her if she did not comply, Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt said. The woman argued and struggled with Platt, who tried to grab her purse and eventually gained control of her car keys. He then drove away in her car with his accomplice in the passenger seat, according to Dale-Schmidt.

Later that night, a state trooper spotted the hijacked car and tried to pull it over near 79th Street and Cottage Grove. The driver initially appeared to be pulling over, but he suddenly accelerated to more than 102 mph, ran several red lights, and crashed into a building at 95th Street and Cottage Grove, officials said. The state trooper crashed into a CTA shelter at the same intersection.

Platt was reportedly taken to the hospital suffering a broken hip and additional injuries. The trooper involved in the crash suffered broken bones, and both cars were carrying passengers who were extracted by emergency crews.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) said this week her plan to tackle crime in the city is “working.” However, data shows major crime increased by 41 percent last year, Breitbart News reported.

“Furthermore, since Lightfoot came into office three years ago, crime has risen by 33 percent,” the outlet said.

“Much of the crime in Chicago has been primarily driven by carjackings, which increased by 102 percent since last year and by 139 percent from three years ago. Theft also significantly increased by 56 percent in 2022, while robbery and burglary both rose by 14 percent,” the report continued.

Meanwhile, four individuals were fatally shot Monday in Lightfoot’s city, according to a Breitbart News article, which also noted Chicago closed 2022 with more than 723 homicides.

Per the CWB Chicago report, officials charged the suspect with possessing a stolen car and three felony counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding. He could not afford bail; therefore, he remains in custody.

“Prosecutors said his criminal background includes robbery convictions in 1995, 2002, and 2010 and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon in 1999,” the outlet said.

A 2022 survey found violent crime across cities in President Joe Biden’s (D) America rose by more than four percent during the first six months of last year, Breitbart News reported in September.

“Compared to 2019 crime rates, some cities have seen a doubling in murders and a 36 percent increase in aggravated assaults,” the article said.