2 men, teen boy charged after crashing stolen car in Evanston

Three people are facing charges after a parolee crashed a stolen car while trying to drive away from a traffic stop early Sunday in north suburban Evanston, according to police.

An officer driving north at 2:46 a.m. in the 1200 block of Ridge Avenue saw a 2010 BMW driving south with a flat rear passenger-side tire, according to a statement from Evanston police. As the officer turned around, the BMW turned west onto Greenleaf Street and south onto Asbury Avenue.

The officer activated his vehicle’s emergency lights and tried to pull the BMW over, police said. A check of the license plate revealed that the BMW had been reported stolen in Chicago. It slowed as if it was going to stop, but then attempted a westbound turn onto Mulford Street.

During the turn, the driver lost control because of the flat tire and the BMW crashed into a parked vehicle in the 1300 block of Mulford, police said. The driver got out and ran away while 21-year-old Dejuan C. Banks Jr. and a 15-year-old boy who remained in the car were taken into custody.

Police K-9 units eventually located the driver, 22-year-old Najolie J. Evans, in the 400 block of Wesley Avenue, police said. Officers searching the vehicle also found a Glock .40-caliber handgun with an extended 30-round magazine on the floor on the driver’s side.

Evans, who lives in the South Side Oakland neighborhood, was charged with one felony count each of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon by an armed habitual criminal and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, police said. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of ammunition without a FOID card and the Illinois Department of Corrections issued a parole violation warrant for him.

Evans was released on parole on March 24 after being convicted in 2012 for aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm and unlawful restraint, according to IDOC records.

Banks, who lives in the South Side Bronzeville neighborhood, and the 15-year-old were each charged with a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass to a vehicle, police said.