Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Authorities say that 22-year-old Kiar Evans shot into one vehicle, then carjacked another all over the course of a single week. The carjacking charge is punishable by up to a 15-year sentence. He is being held without bond after his initial appearance.
Evans was caught after someone phoned in a reckless driver. A police helicopter was able to catch up with Evans and follow his stolen vehicle off of the Eisenhower Expressway. After Evans exited the vehicle, he walked up to another vehicle, knocked on the window, and attempted to pull open the door, but the door was locked and the window was up. Evans then pulled a handgun with an extended magazine and fired two shots into the passenger-side window. The driver sped off before Evans could hijack the vehicle.
Evans then approached another vehicle with his gun out and ordered the driver to exit the car. The driver complied, and Evans had another vehicle. Meanwhile, the police helicopter stayed on Evans before the stolen vehicle was found in a multi-vehicle crash about two miles from the scene of the carjacking. Evans was arrested there.
In his possession, police found a Glock 9mm with a laser sight and auto-switch (which is illegal). Evans was on parole from a weapons charge when he was caught stealing vehicles to evade police.
Carjacking Crimes
The number of carjackings appears to go up every single year, but despite tough talk and enhanced penalties, it is rarer than it should be to gain a carjacking conviction.
In 2018, Chicago police teamed up with the federal government to bring more carjacking victims justice and prosecute more perpetrators. The initiative was supposed to be a means of winning long prison terms for those who hijack vehicles using gun violence. However, the task force does not have the resources to keep up with the ever-growing number of carjackings in the Chicago area. In 2020, more than 1,400 carjackings were reported. Over the past three years, the task force has only charged 12 perpetrators with carjacking.
While some believe that the task force’s limited resources is responsible for the low number of cases, others say that the task force was never meant to act as the sole agency responsible for carjacking crimes. The task force’s job is to take on the worst cases of carjacking and get the longest sentences thus making it easier for local law enforcement to prosecute similar cases. Others say that the large number of juveniles who are responsible for carjacking crimes makes prosecution difficult unless they injure or kill someone.
Nonetheless, government intervention has not reduced the number of carjackings, they have actually increased.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney
If you are facing serious charges in the Chicago area, call David Freidberg today at (312) 560-7100 and talk to one of Chicago’s most notable criminal defense attorneys, and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.
