Police: Man stole vehicle with woman, 2 kids inside in Wheeling

A man facing charges after he allegedly stole a vehicle with a woman and her two children inside Sunday afternoon in north suburban Wheeling has been denied bond.

Leon Spektor, 38, was taken into custody on a warrant about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue and charged with vehicular hijacking, kidnapping and robbery, according to Wheeling police.

About 3:20 p.m. Sunday, a man left his wife and two children — a 1-week-old and a 3-year-old — in his running vehicle while he went inside Walgreens in the first block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling, police said.

When the man returned to the parking lot, he discovered his vehicle was missing, police said. He tried calling his wife’s cellphone, and then called authorities when he could not reach her.

The store’s surveillance video showed Spektor getting in the vehicle and driving off with the family, police said.

An Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network alert was broadcast to police agencies and an AMBER alert was in the process of being issued when the woman called police and said she was in the 4700 block of West Belmont in Chicago.

Wheeling and Chicago Police found the woman and children unharmed, police said. Spektor stole her cellphone and money.

Spektor, who is believed to be homeless, was denied bond at an appearance Thursday at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse, police said. He was scheduled to return to court Dec. 14.