Thirteen-year-old accused of stealing car from Elmhurst dealership detained until next court date

A Chicago juvenile accused of stealing a car from an Elmhurst auto dealership will be detained until at least his next court appearance, authorities said.

The juvenile, a 13-year-old male, has been charged with one count each of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, possession of burglary tools, misdemeanor criminal damage to property and misdemeanor fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 1:38 a.m. Dec. 26, Elmhurst police responded to a call about two parked vehicles, a 2020 Kia Forte and a SUV, on the side of North York Road. As police pulled up behind the cars, they sped away. Police attempted to stop the vehicles, but they continued to flee from police, reaching speeds of about 70 mph, according to the release.

The Kia Forte, driven by the juvenile, drove into oncoming traffic. The pursuit was terminated a short time later out of safety concerns.

Police later learned the Kia Forte was stolen from the Wilkins Hyundai dealership earlier that night. About 3:12 a.m., Oak Park police located the Kia Forte with the juvenile in the front seat. He was taken into custody at that time. The juvenile allegedly went to the Wilkins Hyundai dealership, broke a window to the Kia Forte and drove the car off the lot, authorities said.

“It is alleged that in the middle of the night, a 13-year-old boy traveled to DuPage County, broke into a vehicle and drove off, eventually leading police on a high-speed chase without regard for public safety,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “The increase in violent juvenile crime we have experienced is extremely disturbing. I want to be perfectly clear, however, in DuPage County anyone who commits this type of behavior, regardless of their age, will be caught and held accountable.”

The juvenile’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 13.