Prosecutors: Men carjacked woman at knife point with children in back seat

A judge denied bond Sunday to two men accused of hijacking a woman at knife point Friday in Villa Park with her two children in the back seat of her vehicle.

The woman and children, ages 5 and 10, were released later unharmed and the suspects were captured about 2½ hours later in Chicago, authorities said.

Luis Gomez-Garcia, 28, of the 900 block of W. Irving Park Road in Bensenville, and Christopher Krieg, 32, of the 600 block of East Gunderson Road in Carol Stream, each face charges of aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated unlawful restraint.

According to DuPage County prosecutors, the woman was in her vehicle in the 200 block of West North Avenue at about 4:48 p.m. Friday when Gomez-Garcia approached. He placed a knife with a 3½-inch blade to the woman's throat through an open window while Krieg got into the rear of the vehicle with the children, prosecutors said.

Gomez-Garcia ordered the victim to give him her property - an iPhone 11, Apple Watch and wallet - and told her to drive to her home, authorities said. The victim drove instead to a different location, where she and her children were released after Gomez-Garcia warned them not to contact police, prosecutors said.

Villa Park police, with the help of Chicago police, found the victim's vehicle in the 2900 block of West Harrison Street in Chicago at about 7:21 p.m. Krieg was in the vehicle and Gomez-Garcia was about 10 feet away, authorities said. Both were arrested.

"The extreme level of violence alleged against the two defendants in this case is unconscionable," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in an announcement of the charges Sunday "I can't begin to imagine the fear and terror this woman must have felt not only for herself, but also for her two young children. "

Both Gomez-Garcia and Krieg are scheduled to return to court Nov. 8.