Wheeling police identify suspect in vehicular hijacking
Wheeling police are seeking the public's help in finding a homeless man who is a suspect in a vehicular hijacking, kidnapping and robbery Sunday.
The Cook County state's attorney's office has approved a criminal arrest warrant for 38-year-old Leon Spektor, who frequents the Wheeling area and the North Side of Chicago.
Wheeling police describe Spektor as 6 feet tall, 190 pounds with dark receding hair and a light beard or facial hair. His clothing is described as a green puffy coat with white/gray camouflage pants and a black winter hat.
The crime for which Spektor is a suspect occurred about 3:20 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Walgreens store at 10 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling.
A man reported he'd left his vehicle running in the parking lot with his wife and 1-week-old and 3-year-old children inside. When he returned from the store, he found them missing and could not reach his wife on her cellphone.
Police responded and reviewed the store's video surveillance system. The video revealed an unknown man had entered the vehicle and drove away with the family inside.
The woman and her two children were released on the 4700 block of West Belmont in Chicago. She said the man who hijacked the car also took her cellphone and money.
A suspect was developed from analysis of the surveillance video. Using a photo lineup, the woman identified Spektor as the person who kidnapped her and her children, police said.
Anyone who sees Spektor should immediately call 911. Anyone with any other information that might assist in locating him is asked to call the Wheeling Police Department's nonemergency number at (847) 459-2632.