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DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. - A Chicago man accused of carjacking a driver at gunpoint in Wheaton and leading police on a high-speed chase has been ordered to remain in custody while his case moves forward.
What we know:
Andrew Strong, 25, is charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Andrew Strong
According to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, Wheaton police responded around 12:53 a.m. Friday to a report of an armed carjacking in the 1000 block of East Willow Avenue.
The victim had just pulled into his driveway when someone wearing a black ski mask and black hoodie knocked on the driver's window while pointing a black handgun.
Prosecutors said the armed suspect ordered the victim to "get out of the car" and told him to "get on the ground and don't do anything stupid." A second masked person then got into the victim's black 2020 Acura MDX and drove it away while the armed suspect got back into a gray Nissan Sentra.
A short time later, a Glen Ellyn police officer spotted both vehicles traveling east on Roosevelt Road near Sunset Avenue and attempted a traffic stop.
According to prosecutors, both vehicles sped away, reaching about 100 mph in a 35 mph zone.
The chase ended after the Nissan was stopped with spike strips and crashed into a curb. Authorities said two people ran from the vehicle, but with help from an Illinois State Police airplane, officers tracked the suspects into a nearby neighborhood, where DuPage County sheriff's deputies arrested the Nissan's driver, identified as Strong.
Authorities said a black Springfield handgun was recovered from the passenger seat of the Nissan.
What we don't know:
It is unclear what happened to the victim's Acura and if any other suspects remain at large.
What they're saying:
"Judge Aranda's decision to deny pre-trial release for Mr. Strong sends a crystal-clear message that in DuPage County, we will not tolerate violent criminal activity, as alleged in this case," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.
Wheaton Police Chief P.J. Youker said the case showed the value of cooperation among local, county and state law enforcement agencies.
"An already convicted felon, Mr. Strong’s potential sentence could be measured in decades for his alleged crimes," Youker said. "He and his associates were not prepared for the strong law enforcement response of the Wheaton Police and our local, county and state law enforcement partners. The combined work of officers from the Glen Ellyn, Villa Park, Oak Brook, Hinsdale, Darien, Westchester and North Riverside Police Departments and DuPage County sheriff’s deputies, along with Illinois State Police plane pilots, ultimately resulted in the capture of Mr. Strong and the removal of another firearm from our community’s streets."
What's next:
Strong is due back in court on Aug. 24.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Wheaton Police Department.
The Source: The information in this story came from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and the Wheaton Police Department.