An AirTag attached to a carjacking victim’s key fob assisted Chicago police in tracking down his stolen Audi after prosecutors claim a bogus marijuana sale was made to entice him into the South Side carjacking. Three people have pled guilty and got terms ranging from six to twelve years, according to court records.
Cops responding to a ShotSpotter alert in the 8300 block of South Exchange Avenue on the evening of August 30, 2024, discovered that a carjacking had also occurred nearby, according to a CPD report.
Officers located a 37-year-old man who claimed two people had taken his Audi Q7 at gunpoint in the 8100 block of South Escanaba Avenue. The man then got into another car with a 41-year-old woman and continued pursuing the SUV, according to a CPD media statement. The pursuit ended when someone inside the hijacked SUV fired rounds at the chasing vehicle, grazing the woman in the shoulder, according to authorities.
Fortunately for the victim, his SUV’s key fob was linked to an AirTag, which police used to locate the car. When CPD pulled it stopped, there were two persons inside: Randle Archie and Mercedes Jones, both of whom were 18. According to court papers, prosecutors accused Jones of enticing the girl to the spot by claiming she wanted to purchase marijuana. When the victim arrived, Archie and another man allegedly waved a gun at him before taking the SUV.
According to prosecutors, Archie was caught while carrying a loaded weapon with an extended magazine. The hijacked SUV’s key fob was also discovered in his jeans pocket. About four months later, police apprehended the third defendant, Akyreian Anders, whom prosecutors initially charged with firing the gun that grazed the victim.
Anders, Archie, and Jones have all pled guilty to aggravated vehicular hijacking, according to court documents. Judge Natosha Toller sentenced Anders to 12 years, Archie to 10 years, and Jones to 6 years.
Archie and Jones are already 20, while Anders will turn 20 later this month. Each must serve 50% of their term, with credit for time spent in the Cook County Jail.
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