Video surveillance captures carjacking of a taxi on Walton Street near Wells Street in Chicago.
Chicago police, firefighters and paramedics responded to a crash just after 10:45 p.m. Tuesday February 13, 2018, involving three vehicles at Chicago Avenue and Larrabee Street. First responders soon discovered that the crash involved a carjacker that took over a taxi in the block of 200 West Walton Street less than a mile northwest of the crash scene.
A 69-year-old woman was transported from the crash scene with life-threatening injuries to Level I Trauma Center Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she was identified as Perla Carandang and pronounced dead at 12:56 a.m. Wednesday.
The suspect was transported to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where blood tests determined he had a blood alcohol level (BAC) of .275. Blood tests also discovered cocaine and amphetamines in his system. The suspect, identified as Michael Jorgensen, 29, of the 1200 block of Tuscany Drive, in Streamwood, was listed in serious condition.
Two other people involved in the crash suffered minor injuries and were listed in good condition.
Jorgenson was charged with murder, vehicular hijacking, aggravated DUI causing death and two misdemeanor traffic violations in connection with the crash.
Allegedly before the crash at about 10:30 p.m., a cabbie noticed Jorgensen walking “suspiciously walking around taxis” in the block of 200 West Walton Street, where a taxi lot is located. The cabbie got back into his cab, but Jorgensen approached the cabbie and helped his dog into the taxi. He commanded the dog to attack the cabbie, and the dog responded by biting the cabbie in the neck and chest, according to prosecutors.
Jorgensen allegedly then opened the driver’s door of the cabbie’s Toyota Prius and began to punch him, and dragged him out of the vehicle. Jorgensen jumped into the taxi, made a left turn turn in the lot, and sped off, leaving the cabbie behind. He drove 0.7 mile and crashed into two vehicles at Chicago Avenue and Larrabee Street.
Jorgenson disobeyed a red light, and hit Perla Carandang’s vehicle with the main impact while she was making a left turn on a green arrow.
In Cook County Court Friday February 16, 2018, Jorgenson was denied bail.
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