SUV Stolen Off Dealer Lot Possibly Heisted by Car Theft Ring: Cops

OAK LAWN, IL -- An SUV believed stolen from an Oak Lawn car dealer by a state-wide car theft ring ended up in Peoria as part of a shooting investigation, reports said.

Oak Lawn police responded to a motor vehicle theft off the car lot at Happy Hyundai, 9121 S. Cicero Ave. The 2014 Hyundai Tucson was believed plucked off the lot sometime before Jan. 17. The key to the vehicle was also reported missing.

When police ran the SUV’s VIN, they noticed that the Peoria Police Department had ran the same number on Jan. 15. Oak Lawn officers also discovered that it had been towed after an investigation into shots fired.

Peoria police officers said the alleged shooters fled on foot from the vehicle after abandoning it at the scene. A Peoria detective suspects a known 18-year-old male involved in the shots-fired investigation may also be involved in a car theft ring that spans from Chicago to Peoria.

The Tucson was valued at $17,538. Complaints will be signed.