Man Dragged to His Death in Attempt to Stop Car Thieves: Oak Park Police

OAK PARK, IL — A Westchester man is dead after a carjacking in Oak Park just before 6:30 p.m. last night. Christopher Daniel Florez, 24, died after attempting to stop a man who allegedly drove off with his car as it idled in the parking lot of Jewel-Osco.

Florez was reportedly browsing for DVDs at the Redbox kiosk with his friend’s young daughter when a man entered his car, according to Chicago Tribune. Police said Florez then ran to the car’s driver’s side and reached through its open window to grab the steering wheel. As Florez clung to the car, the suspect drove west on Roosevelt Road, accelerating to a “high rate of speed,” Chicago Tribune said.

Police said Florez was thrown from the vehicle as it sharply turned onto Harlem Avenue. Emergency crews rushed Florez to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead at 9:24 p.m. Police later found Florez’s Dodge Challenger and pursued it to the 5500 block of West Monroe, where the suspects exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

CBS said police have taken one person into custody, but authorities are still searching for another suspect in the theft. Eyewitnesses described the carjacking suspect as a black male in his 30s or 40s with short braids and a thin build. He was reportedly wearing a sweater at time of the incident.

If you have information regarding this incident, contact Oak Park Police Department at 708-386-1636.

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