PEORIA, Ill. — Two more teenagers have been arrested in connection with a violent purse snatching and vehicle theft from earlier this week.
It happened Monday night, when police say a group of juveniles violently attacked a woman on the UnityPoint parking deck, stole her purse, keys and her car.
Following a roughly 30 minute investigation that night, officers found and pursued the stolen vehicle, but only managed to arrest three of suspects inside, two teenage males and a one female near St. Philomeno.
A firearm was also found inside the stolen car.
On Thursday, Peoria Police issued an update, stating members with the department’s Criminal and Special Investigations divisions had found, surveiled and subsequently arrested two more teenagers in connection to the case the prior evening (Wednesday).
This time it was two teenage females, both charged with Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking and other counts.
Both have been transported to the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Peoria Police Department at (309) 673-4521, tip411 (anonymously), or Crime Stoppers (anonymously) at (309) 673-9000.
This case comes on the heels of Peoria Police Chief Eric Echavarria’s voicing concern about the trend in crime involving juveniles in the area.
