Suspect who prosecutors say taunted carjacking victim ordered held without bail
A Chicago man who prosecutors say responded to a social media post advertising an SUV for sale and then stole the vehicle at gunpoint was ordered held without bail Thursday on charges of aggravated vehicular hijacking with a weapon.
Elias Dunn messaged "see you never" followed by a laughing/crying emoji to the seller after taking the vehicle, authorities said. Now he could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Dunn responded to a social media post Nov. 2 offering a blue 2003 BMW SUV for sale, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Aldina Vulic said Thursday. He later arranged to meet the man who was selling the car for a friend on Nov. 4, near the 1100 block of Northbury Lane in Wheeling, prosecutors say.
After he and the seller took a test drive to Riverwoods, Dunn expressed interest in purchasing the car, said Vulic. The seller told Dunn the title was at his apartment and instructed Dunn to drive there.
As the seller got out of the car, he remembered his house keys were on the key ring along with the BMW keys. He reached and removed them from the ignition, at which point Dunn grabbed the man by his sweatshirt, showed him a gun and demanded the keys, Vulic said.
The seller tossed the keys out of the open passenger's-side door. Dunn then exited the car with the firearm and demanded the seller pick up the keys, Vulic said. Dunn walked around the vehicle and, while pointing the gun at the seller, searched for the keys, she said. While Dunn searched, the seller dialed 911.
Recovering the keys, Dunn removed the seller's house and personal vehicle keys off the ring, tossed them at the man and drove away, Vulic said.
Later that day, the seller messaged Dunn that he had called the police and would press charges if the vehicle were not returned. The defendant responded "see you never" with a laughing/crying emoji, Vulic said.
The conversation concluded with Dunn's telling the seller if he wanted his SUV back, he would have to pay for it, Vulic said.
After the seller posted about the theft on social media, a person contacted him to report someone using the name Elias Phillip had contacted him on social media about a BMW that was for sale, Vulic said. The person said the vehicle was stolen in the same manner, Vulic said, adding the theft was reported to Bensenville police.
Bensenville police "were able to identify the defendant as the perpetrator of that vehicular hijacking and provided this information to the Wheeling Police Department," Vulic said.
The vehicle was recovered in Chicago on Nov. 21.
Dunn was arrested Tuesday. He is scheduled to return to court Feb. 10.