Rockford police capture 15-year-old in stolen vehicle chase

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A 15-year-old car thief was pursued by Rockford Police Monday night and was captured using GPS tracking technology.

According to police, officers with the Specialized Community Oriented Policing Enforcement (SCOPE) team were alerted to two auto thefts Monday afternoon.

Around 5:15 p.m., officers spotted both stolen vehicles near Kilburn Avenue and Wallin Street.

As officers approached, one of the vehicles sped off.

Through the use of the police department’s StarChase system, which uses vehicle mounted launchers to attach a GPS tracking device to the bumper of a fleeing car, officers were able to monitor the suspect’s whereabouts and ultimately throw stop sticks in the vehicle’s path, disabling its tires.

The teen driver got out of the disabled car and ran, but was captured after a foot pursuit with Rockford officers.

He was charged with Vehicle Theft, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Aggravated Fleeing to Elude, and Resisting Arrest.

The offender was booked into the Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center.