Man wanted for carjacking vehicle with woman, two kids inside arrested

WHEELING (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A man wanted for carjacking a vehicle left running with a woman and two children inside Sunday afternoon in north suburban Wheeling has been captured.

Leon Spektor, 38, was taken into custody about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue in Chicago, according to Wheeling police.

An arrest warrant had been issued for Spektor, charging him with vehicular hijacking, kidnapping and robbery, police said.

About 3:20 p.m. Sunday, a man left his wife and two children—a 1-week-old and a 3-year-old—in his running vehicle while he went inside Walgreens in the first block of North Milwaukee Avenue, police said.

When the man returned to the parking lot, he discovered his vehicle was missing. He tried calling his wife’s cellphone, but did not reach her, then called police.

The store’s surveillance video showed Spektor getting in the vehicle and driving off with the family, police said.

An Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network alert was broadcast to police agencies and an AMBER alert was in the process of being issued when the woman called police and said she was in the 4700 block of West Belmont in Chicago.

Wheeling and Chicago Police found the woman and children unharmed, police said. Spektor stole her cellphone and money.

Spektor is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Rolling Meadows courthouse, police said. He is believed to be homeless.