72-year-old grandmother carjacked in front of Lutheran school in Portage Park

A 72-year-old grandmother was carjacked Thursday afternoon while sitting in her car in front of a Lutheran grade school in the Portage Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

The carjacking happened about 2 p.m., Chicago Police said.

The woman was sitting in her parked car in front of St. John’s Lutheran Church and School, 4939 W. Montrose Ave., when a man between 18 and 22 years old got out of a silver hatchback SUV and pointed a gun at her, police said.

A second male stayed in the SUV while the man with the gun told the woman to get out of her car, police said. When the woman got out, the man grabbed her purse and drove off in her car. Both vehicles headed north on Montrose after the carjacking.

The woman, who is the grandmother of two students who attend the school, was not hurt during the encounter, police and school officials said.

In a statement, Interim Principal Donald Hendricks said the school was working with police and Ald. John Arena (45th) to provide additional patrol cars and give the school “increased attention,” particularly during drop-off and pick-up times.

“This is a very unusual event for our community,” Hendricks said in the statement. “The phrase ‘see something, say something’ will be part of our thinking.”

Area North detectives were investigating.