Boy arrested after police chase, crash on SW Side ID’d as December shooter

One of four people—a 16-year-old boy—arrested Sunday in connection with a police chase and crash in a stolen vehicle in the Little Village neighborhood was identified as the suspect in a December shooting that injured a 9-year-old boy.

The 16-year-old was charged with one felony count of aggravated battery with discharge of a firearm and one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass to a vehicle, police said.

About 3:35 a.m. Sunday, Ogden District police officers were pursuing a stolen car near the 2600 block of South California when two assisting squad cars collided, police said at the time.

Four officers were injured in the crash; two were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and two were taken to Stroger Hospital, police said. All suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The stolen vehicle, which has been tied to an armed robbery, also struck another squad car in the 3100 block of South California, but no one was injured in that crash, police said.

Following the arrests Sunday, the 16-year-old was positively identified as the suspect who fired a handgun about 11:35 a.m. Dec. 6 in the 2300 block of West Adams, police said.

In that incident, a 9-year-old boy was walking with his father when the boy was shot “inadvertently” in the lower right leg, police said at the time. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. Police said the shooting likely was gang-related.

Also charged after Sunday’s crash was a 17-year-old boy, who faces one count of possession of a stolen vehicle, one count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude causing bodily harm, and one count of criminal damage to government-supported property, all felonies, police said.

Two other people, a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man, were charged with one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass to a vehicle.

It was not immediately known whether the teens were being charged as adults.