Evanston Police Find Loaded Gun In Stolen BMW

EVANSTON, IL — Police arrested three people riding in a stolen vehicle and recovered a loaded handgun after a traffic stop early Sunday in Evanston, police said.

An officer driving northbound in the 1200 block of Ridge Road noticed a 2010 BMW driving the opposite direction with a flat rear passenger tire around 2:46 a.m., according to police.

When the officer turned around, the BMW turned right onto westbound Greenleaf street before turning again onto southbound Asbury Avenue, police said. The officer then turned on his patrol vehicle's emergency lights and tried to stop the vehicle in the 600 block of Asbury Avenue.

First, the vehicle slowed down as if it were about to stop. Then, it tried to turn again, attempting to go westbound onto Mulford Street, according to police.

However, police said the driver lost control of the BMW due to the lack of a rear tire, striking a parked vehicle in the 1300 block of Mulford Street. The driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot, while the other two occupants of the BMW remained and were taken into custody, police said.

An Evanston Police K-9 unit was called to the scene, and the driver was located in the 400 block of Wesley Avenue. Police said they found a loaded Glock .40 caliber handgun with an extended 30 round magazine on the driver's side floorboard as they searched the car.

A check of its license plates revealed the BMW had been stolen out of Chicago, according to police.

The driver, identified by police as 22-year-old Najolie J. Evans, of the 600 block of East 57th Street, was charged with three felonies: possession of a stolen vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon by an armed habitual criminal and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, plus one misdemeanor charge of illegally possessing ammunition.

According to police, Evans was on parole and the Illinois Department of Corrections issued an additional parole violation warrant for his arrest.

The vehicle's two passengers, a 15-year-old boy from Chicago and 21-year-old Dejuan C. Banks Jr., of the 4100 block of South Indiana Avenue, were charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass to vehicle, according to Evanston police.

Top photo: Glock .40 Caliber handgun with an extended clip recovered by police | Evanston PD