Vehicle hijacking in Kankakee ends with crash in Bradley

A vehicle hijacking that started in Kankakee on Tuesday ended when the alleged offender crashed into two vehicles in Bradley, police said.

Kankakee police said 42-year-old Sammy G. Kanatzar, no address listed, was taken into custody on the preliminary charges of vehicular hijacking, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, battery, reckless driving, theft (between $500 and $10,000), obstructing identification and leaving the scene.

According to a police report, an officer responded to Gas N’ Wash in the 100 block of West Court Street to a report of a stolen vehicle.

The officer talked to an employee who said his vehicle had been stolen. The victim said he had left his keys in his Toyota Corolla, which was parked on the south side of the east entrance of the business where he usually parks it while he works, the report said.

The victim noticed his vehicle was missing and ran out the east side entrance/exit of the business and saw his vehicle traveling east in the 100 block of West Court Street and he took off running after it to try and stop Kanatzar, police said.

The victim said he attempted to reach through the window and was unable to stop Kanatzar. The victim said he reached into the vehicle and started pulling on Kanatzar to get Kanatzar out of the vehicle, police said.

The victim said Kanatzar used both hands to push the victim off of him and accelerated quickly turning north off Court Street onto North Schuyler Avenue, police said.

Kanatzar stayed on North Schuyler into Bradley where he was then involved in a crash with two other vehicles at the intersection of North Fulton Avenue and East Broadway Street in Bradley. Kanatzar was taken into custody, police said.

He was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment of his injuries. At the hospital, Kanatzar gave police a fake name, the police said.

After he was released from the hospital, Kanatzar was transported to the Kankakee Police Department where he was interviewed by the Tri-County Stolen Auto Task Force, police said.

Three stolen credit cards bearing the victim’s name were found in Kanatzar’s possession.