Passenger In Stolen SUV That Crashed Knew It Was 'Hot': Police

OAK LAWN, IL — Two men who led Indiana police on a high-speed chase down I-80/94 in a stolen vehicle and crashed it in Oak Lawn Monday afternoon are facing felony charges in Illinois, Oak Lawn police said in a news release.

Jalen Roberts, 20, of Gary, Indiana, the passenger in the vehicle, was charged with one count of criminal trespass to a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance, police said.

Damarco Morrison, 19, of Chicago, the driver, was charged with one felony count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and traffic related offenses, police said.

Both men both appeared Wednesday before Judge Kerry Kennedy for a bond hearing in Bridgeview.

Oak Lawn police were called to the area of 95th Street and Oak Park to help Gary police search for two men, later identified as Roberts and Morrison, whom police said ran from a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox stolen in an aggravated vehicular carjacking in Chicago on Nov. 7.

Officers in Gary picked up on the stolen vehicle after the license plate hit off an automated plate reader, alerting them that the vehicle carjacked in Chicago the day before, police said.

The vehicle fled from Gary police, who pursued the Equinox on several interstate highways before it finally exited I-294 at 95th Street. The SUV continued to flee east on 95th Street until it crashed into a traffic light in front of the Starbucks at 95th Street and Oak Park Avenue, police said.

Roberts and Morrison jumped out of the car and fled on foot, according to police. Police said Roberts was soon taken into custody on the west side of the Oak Lawn Mazda car dealership after a brief chase by a Gary police sergeant and with the help of a CPD helicopter. The prosecutor said Roberts was found to have two Xanax when he was placed under arrest.

A Cook County police canine found Morrison hiding under a car in a parking lot just east of the Mazda dealership after an extensive search, according to police. Police said Morrison had the key fob for the stolen Equinox.

Both men were taken to the Oak Lawn Police Department, where police said they each provided a statement. The prosecutor alleged that Roberts, the passenger in the vehicle, told police he knew "the car was hot" when he rode in it.

Roberts' bail was set at $75,000 with electronic monitoring if he makes bail. Reminded that Roberts lived in Indiana , Kennedy said: "Maybe he can find someone in Illinois to stay with."

Morrisson's bail was set at $100,000, with electronic monitoring.

Both men had multiple pending cases and a history of skipping court, the prosecutor said.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office approved felony charges on Tuesday. The two may be facing other charges in Indiana. According to court records, Roberts has two active warrants out of Illinois and Indiana.