Two Charged In Connection To Carjacking, After Chase From Gary To Oak Lawn

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two carjacking suspects face felony charges in Cook County, after they led police on a chase from Gary, Indiana, to southwest suburban Oak Lawn on Monday.

Oak Lawn Police said 19-year-old Damarco Morrison was driving the stolen Chevy SUV, which crashed at 95th Street and Oak Park Avenue after a 33-mile chase on Monday. Morrison was arrested after an extensive search, and was found hiding under a vehicle in the parking lot of a nearby Mazda dealership.

Morrison has been charged with one felony count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and multiple traffic violations.

His passenger, 20-year-old Jalen Roberts, also was arrested after the crash, and has been charged with one count of criminal trespass to a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance. Oak Lawn police said he's also wanted on two active warrants in Illinois and Indiana.

Both Morrison and Roberts are due to appear for a bond hearing at the Bridgeview courthouse on Wednesday, and could face additional charges in Indiana,  police said.

As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported Monday night, Gary police stand by their officers' decision to chase the stolen vehicle from Indiana across the state line into Illinois.

Five Gary squad cars with lights and sirens blaring chased the vehicle down three interstates into Oak Lawn – more than 30 miles from where they started – because the sport-utility vehicle they were pursuing was involved in an armed carjacking in Chicago on Sunday.

Chopper 2 flew over Oak Lawn Monday afternoon. The police scene was massive – and a closer look shows it was Gary police cars surrounding the Chevrolet SUV.

Gary police said the Chevy was stolen during an armed carjacking at an unspecified location in Chicago. Less than 24 hours later, license plate readers detected the Chevy in Gary.

Gary police reportedly tried to pull over the SUV. But the driver and his passenger decided to bolt, and Gary officers followed.

Gary police chased the Chevy onto the westbound Borman Expressway (Interstate 80/94), and even when they were at the state line, officers did not let up. Gary police said the driver was weaving in and out of traffic – yet they did not say how high speeds reached.

By the time the chase reached the northbound Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294), five Gary officers had joined the chase.

A full 33 miles later, the Chevy jumped off the Tri-State at 95th Street and hit a light pole minutes later at the intersection with Oak Park Avenue in Oak Lawn.

Damage to the front end of the stolen vehicle was easily seen.

Roberts was caught immediately, but Morrison took off running. Police told Oak Lawn neighbors to shelter in place, as they suspected the man may have been armed.

He was finally found hiding under a car.

No one along the highway was hurt during the 33-mile chase. The two arrested men remained in Illinois late Monday and will have to get extradited back to Indiana to deal with charges of fleeing from police.