2 teens charged after stolen vehicle pursuit in Rock Island, police say
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Two teenagers have been charged after leading police on a pursuit in stolen vehicles early Saturday morning in Rock Island, authorities said.
Stolen Vehicle Pursuit Ends in Arrests
What we know:
Rock Island police were called to a report of shots fired at 3:20 a.m. in the area of 17th Street and 18th Avenue.
City cameras captured a passenger in a silver sedan shooting at a red 2016 Kia Sorento as both vehicles left the area, police said.
The vehicles left Rock Island, but the Kia and a silver 2013 Hyundai Elantra returned over the Centennial Bridge shortly after.
The two vehicles were headed eastbound on 18th Avenue when a pursuit began.
Due to excessive speeds, officers were unable to get close enough for a traffic stop.
Moline police were alerted and pursued the vehicles until they crashed in the parking lot of a Wyndham hotel.
Arrests Made :
The drivers, a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, ran from officers but were later apprehended by Moline and East Moline police.
Three other juveniles—a 14-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, and an 11-year-old girl—were taken into custody for questioning, authorities said.
Both vehicles were found to have been stolen in Rock Island earlier that night, though the thefts had not yet been reported.
Police said the steering columns of both vehicles were forced open, and USB devices were used as keys.
The 14-year-old and 16-year-old drivers were charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated fleeing and eluding. They were released on GPS monitoring pending further court proceedings.
The three other juveniles were released to their parents without charges.
What they're saying:
"The reckless acts of these juveniles continue to put the lives of those in our communities at great risk. With the recent incident of a 4-year old being kidnapped in the back seat of a stolen car, and now vehicles fleeing from police with an 11-year old and a 12-year old in the back seat, it is clear that these juveniles are becoming bolder and will only continue to escalate their deadly behavior, unless our system of catch and release isn’t changed by our state legislators. On behalf of the concerned citizens of Rock Island and the entire Quad Cities, we ask that our courts, our legislature, and our community members band together to demand change," said Rock Island Police Chief Tim McCloud.
What's next:
The investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
Anyone with more information is urged to contact Rock Island PD at 309-732-2677 or Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500.