Three men accused of stealing SUV, leading police on high-speed chase, prosecutors say

A motion was granted Saturday to detain three Cook County residents accused of stealing a high-end SUV earlier this month and leading police on a high-speed chase, prosecutors said.

A fourth individual allegedly involved, Jocelyn Gonzalez, 22, of the 3300 block of 133rd Street, Chicago, was not detained.

Xavier Carrasco, 19, of the 19600 block of Torrence Avenue, Lynwood; Matthew Perez, 24, of the 4000 block of E. 134th Street, Chicago; and Mariano Martinez, 18, of the 10800 block of South Greenbay Avenue, Chicago, each appeared at First Appearance Court on Saturday.

Carrasco and Martinez are charged with one count each of aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, theft – over $10,000, burglary, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated fleeing and eluding, according to DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Perez is charged with two counts each of aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding, according to the release.

Gonzalez is charged with one count each of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated fleeing and eluding, according to the release.

On Feb. 11, Elmhurst police began an investigation into the theft of a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, valued at about $53,975, that was stolen from the Al Piemonte Buick GMC dealership.

About 4:40 a.m. Feb. 11, a black Cadillac SUV drove into the overhead service doors at the dealership. A Chevrolet SS arrived, and a man, later identified as Carrasco, exited the car, entered the dealership, retrieved keys for the Jeep and fled the scene in the Jeep, according to the release.

The investigation found that the Cadillac was stolen by Martinez from My Choice Motors, located approximately half a mile away from the dealership, just a few minutes before. A short time later, the vehicles went to a gas station in Berkeley and fled the gas station at a high rate of speed when Berkeley police pulled into the gas station, authorities said.

About 1:15 a.m. Feb. 20, while conducting a patrol near a car dealership, Lisle police saw headlights in the parking lot. Police saw a Jeep Grand Cherokee that matched the description of the stolen Jeep. The Jeep fled the scene on Ogden Avenue and entered eastbound Interstate 88, according to the release.

A short time later, Villa Park police saw the Jeep, with no lights on, traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Interstate 88 and began pursuit. The Jeep did not pull over and continued eastbound on I-88 at times reaching speeds of approximately 130 mph. As the pursuit continued, with multiple agencies assisting, including a Chicago Police Department helicopter, the Jeep entered Interstate 290 eastbound, according to the release.

In an attempt to avoid spike strips, the Jeep swerved around an Oak Brook police officer, almost striking him, and continued to drive eastbound on I-290, swerving in and out of traffic and reaching speed of approximately 126 mph, according to the release.

Near the 17th Street exit, after apparently losing control of the Jeep due to losing the front passenger side tire, four individuals, later identified as the defendants, exited the Jeep, jumped over the concrete median and fled on foot across I-290, authorities said.

All four defendants were arrested following a foot chase. During the foot chase, Perez allegedly threw a Glock 20 handgun over a fence, and Martinez had a magazine that matched the Glock 20 handgun. Authorities searched the Jeep and found a loaded AR rifle with 28 rounds in the magazine and a Springfield Armory 9 mm Hellcat that was reported stolen out of Cicero, according to the release.

“The blatant disregard for the rule of law allegedly exhibited by these defendants is astonishing,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “The successful apprehension of these four defendants sends a loud and clear message that in DuPage County, we will not tolerate the type of lawless, dangerous behavior as alleged in this case.”

“The alleged actions of those subjects charged are truly disturbing,” Villa Park Chief of Police Michael Rivas said in the release. “All four subjects showed a blatant disregard for public safety and for the properties of others.”

The next court appearance for Carrasco, Perez and Martinez is scheduled for March 7. Gonzalez’s next court appearance is set for March 17.