Teen sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting carjacking victim in Westmont

A Westmont teenager was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting a woman he was attempting to carjack when he was 15.

Mitch Crawford, now 17, was charged as an adult a few months after his arrest in January 2022.

Crawford pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular hijacking in February.

According to court records, Crawford was accused of shooting and carjacking a woman in the parking lot of her apartment complex in Westmont shortly before midnight Jan. 4, 2022.

The woman, who has since recovered from her wound, told police that Crawford jumped her as she opened the driver’s side door. She said Crawford waved the gun in her face, told her to get out, shot her in the leg and dragged her out of the car by the hood of her jacket.

Crawford fled eastbound on 63rd Street, but was spotted by police 11 minutes later. He tried to elude police, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph, before crashing on an interstate offramp near Oak Brook.

Police found a loaded polymer gun with no serial number and extended magazine.

Crawford has to serve 85% of his sentence to be eligible for parole.