Family Of Beaten Woman Paid $150 To Reactivate Tracking Service: Cops

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — The family of a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was beaten before her sport utility vehicle was stolen with her 2-year-old son inside had to pay $150 to reactivate a tracking device through Volkswagen Car-Net, police said Thursday.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas was stolen from a driveway in the 16000 block of Route 137 in Libertyville at about 3:35 p.m. on Feb. 22. The Lake County Sheriff's Office responded to the home and deputies immediately called Volkswagen Car-Net in an attempt to track the vehicle, Christopher Covelli, deputy chief for the Lake County Sheriff's Office, told Patch.

When a deputy called, they were told Volkswagen Car-Net would not track the vehicle with the abducted boy inside until they received payment to reactivate the tracking device in the stolen SUV, police said.

Covelli said the officer reached out to an extended family member to get a credit card to provide to Volkswagen Car-Net, in order to reactivate the tracking services, but it took 30 minutes before the tracking service was available for the deputy to use.

"...by the time we received the information, we already recovered the child and the stolen Volkswagen," Covelli said.

As of Thursday afternoon, no one has been arrested in connection with the incident, but detectives are making progress, Covelli said. No additional information regarding the investigation was immediately available.

Police said they responded to the Libertyville home after receiving a call from the 34-year-old pregnant woman who was attacked in her driveway. She told police she was coming back from inside her home, after bringing one of her children inside, and was about to retrieve her 2-year-old son when a white BMW pulled into her driveway behind her SUV.

A man, who is described as being tall, thin and wearing a gray zip-up hooded sweatshirt and light green face mask, got out of the BMW and tried to get into the Volkswagen as the mom tried to protect her young son, according to authorities. The man then beat the woman, knocking her to the ground, and stole the car with the child inside.

The woman was run over when the BMW and Volkswagen fled the scene.

The 2-year-old boy was abandoned a short time later in a parking lot at a business in the 2200 block of Lakeside Drive in Waukegan by the suspect, according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

A person at the business came to the child's aid and was able to bring him to safety before he wandered onto a nearby busy roadway, police said. The Good Samaritan called police and deputies were able to reunite the boy with his mom.

The 34-year-old woman was taken to a hospital, where she was listed in serious but stable condition following the incident. The woman underwent surgery last week for broken bones and will now require continuous nursing care at home, physical therapy and possibly more surgeries, according to a GoFundMe set up by neighbors of the family.

The woman's unborn child will require ongoing monitoring to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery, but was OK following the attack. The woman will not be able to return to work, according to the GoFundMe.

As of Thursday, five days after the GoFundMe was set up, more than $71,000 has been raised. The funds will help pay for medical bills and day-to-day life while the mother and the family heals, according to the GoFundMe. Donations can be made here.

• $53K Raised For Family Of Pregnant Mom Beaten, Ran Over
  

Police are still investigating the incident and searching for the white BMW, which was stolen from a car dealership in Waukegan. The vehicle is described as a 2000s model with a black bumper and loud exhaust.

Anyone who spots the stolen BMW or has any information about this incident can contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division at 847-377-4000 or contact Lake County CrimeStoppers at www.lakecountycrimestoppers.org.