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Teen Carjacker Stole Car With Elderly Woman In Back Seat

CHICAGO (CBS) -- An 88-year-old woman was safe at home on Thursday, after a 14-year-old carjacker stole a car while she was in the back seat.

The car was stolen from the parking lot of a Walgreens at 901 W. Touhy Av. in Park Ridge around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday. The woman was sitting in the back seat while waiting for a family member who had gone into the store.

A 14-year-old boy saw the car still running, hopped in, and drove away.

Police said it's possible the teen stole the car before noticing the woman was in the back seat. Eventually, he dropped her off at home before continuing on.

"Unknown at what point during the commission of the crime; but he did make the decision to let her out of the car," Park Ridge Police Deputy Chief Lou Jogmen said. "It's the first time that I'm aware of it here in Park Ridge for sure."

The woman was unharmed.

"We obviously made sure that she was okay; shaken up, scared, but for all intents and purposes she was okay and unharmed," Jogmen said.

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Park Ridge police were able to connect the carjacking to the recent arrests of three 14-year-old boys who had stolen unlocked or running cars in late February and early March. With help of Chicago police, the stolen car was spotted near Belmont and Harlem avenues in Chicago, in an area where other stolen cars from Park Ridge had been found.

Police pulled the car over a short time later at the intersection of Austin and Lawrence avenues.

Charges were pending against the 14-year-old boy Thursday morning. Police have not confirmed if he was one of the three teens previously arrested for stealing cars near Park Ridge.

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