Woman shot in Aurora carjacking remains in critical condition

Aurora police released new information Sunday about their ongoing investigation into a violent carjacking that left a woman shot and in critical condition Saturday.

Police said they are on the lookout for the woman's SUV, a red 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe with Illinois license plate AE 89203. Anyone who sees the vehicle is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately.

They're also exploring a link between the carjacking and similar crimes earlier Saturday. According to police, a black Ford Escape found in the restaurant parking lot where the carjacking occurred had been stolen in another carjacking less than an hour earlier in DeKalb County.

Aurora detectives contacted the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office and learned the suspects had been involved in a crash involving two other stolen vehicles, police said Sunday. Officers in DeKalb County briefly pursued the vehicle, but ultimately called off the chase for safety reasons, authorities said.

The Aurora carjacking occurred about 4 p.m. Saturday as woman was eating in her SUV in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant in the 1200 block of North Orchard Road, police said. At least two men drove up in the Ford Escape, pulled her from the vehicle, shot her in the back and then drove off.

The woman initially was taken from the scene to an Aurora-area hospital then transferred to a trauma center. She remains in critical condition but is expected to survive, police said.