Evanston Man Who Stole Car With Child in Back Seat Sentenced to 10 Years

An Evanston man who stole a car from a woman whose 5-year-old son was in the back seat last year has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for vehicular hijacking after pleading guilty to one of the charges levied against him.

A judge also sentenced 19-year-old Deangelo Fountain, 19, of the 1300 block of Fowler Avenue, to four years in prison for an unrelated count of residential burglary on Tuesday, according to the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate. He will serve the sentences consecutively.

Fountain has admitted to stealing the car. Authorities have said he jumped into a woman’s 2012 Audi on February 20, 2014 while it was running and she was unloading groceries at her home in Park Ridge and drove off. After realizing a child was in the car, Fountain told authorities he panicked and abandoned it. It was found in six miles away in Skokie soon after an Amber Alert was issued.

The boy was unhurt.

Fountain was originally charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated kidnapping and unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle. As part of a plea agreement, the other charges against him were dropped.

more via the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate