(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Two suburban residents have been ordered held on charges they carjacked a series of vehicles over the weekend, injuring at least one person and crashing multiple automobiles.
Authorities say two women on Saturday morning agreed to give Ricardo Ortega, 26, of Hanover Park and 24-year-old Alicia Merlin-Barrera of Palatine a ride to a train station. On the way there, Merlin-Barrera grabbed the vehicle’s keys from the driver, and Ortega began beating the other motorist, prosecutors say.
When the driver exited the vehicle, the suspects allegedly drove away with the second women still in the car. The car struck a tree at Arlington Drive and County Farm Road in Hanover Park, and the victim was ejected from the vehicle and suffered multiple injuries, prosecutors said.
When a passing motorist stopped to offer help, Ortega and Merlin-Barrera allegedly drove off in the Good Samaritan’s van. Ortega crashed the van into a pole, turned around and drove past the earlier crash, officials said.
The couple ended up crashing the van near I-390 and allegedly carjacked the truck of another passing motorist who stopped to offer assistance.
Hanover Park police located the stolen truck Sunday in Forest Park.
Local police took Ortega and Merlin-Barrera into custody. Each is charged with vehicular highjacking, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated reckless driving and other offenses.
A judge ordered both held as they await their next court appearance -- Jan. 29.
“The brazen, lawless crime spree allegedly committed by these two defendants is astonishing,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release. “What I find particularly disturbing however, is that on two separate occasions, good Samaritans who stopped to help were allegedly victimized by Ortega and Merlin-Barrera as well.”
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