Cops: Teen led police on wild chase in stolen pickup

A 17-year-old McHenry County boy is facing mutliple felony charges after he led police on a wild high-speed chase in a stolen pickup that ended only when he crashed the vehicle in a creek and couldn't drive it out, police said.

Justin A. Labbe, of the 5200 block of Lear Street in Wonder Lake, is charged with unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated unlawful failure to obey an order to stop and two counts of aggravated fleeing stemming from the chase Wednesday night through McHenry.

Labbe, who could be sentenced to a maximum 15 years in prison if convicted of the felony charges, also received 11 traffic citations, including tickets for speeding more than 31 mph above the limit, reckless driving and eight citations for disobeying a stop sign. He was in custody at the McHenry County jail Monday, unable to post $7,500 bond.

His arrest ended a chase that began about 8 p.m. Wednesday when a patrol officer ran the license plate on a 1991 Nissan pickup Labbe was driving near McCollum Lake and Richmond roads, Deputy McHenry Police Chief John Jones said. The check, Jones said, indicated that the pickup had been stolen in Woodstock five days earlier.

When the officer attempted to make a traffic stop, police said, Labbe sped off, starting a three-mile chase that would reach speeds of about 60 mph in a 25 mph zone, Jones said. As the pursuit sped up and continued onto Home Avenue, the officer initially giving chase slowed down and radioed ahead to other officers as a safety precaution.

"They usually can't outrun our radios," Jones said. "If we stay up with (a suspect), that might encourage him to drive even faster. The officer did a good job here."

Labbe, police said, continued on Home until it dead ended at a community center, where other officers were waiting for him. Labbe, Jones said, sped through the center's parking lot, drove through an adjacent baseball field - where no one was playing - then tried to take a short cut through an open area onto Route 120.

Unfortunately for Labbe, the shortcut took him to a creek. He attempted to drive the pickup truck through the creek, but instead got the vehicle stuck, Jones said. He then tried to run from officers, Jones said, but was captured and placed under arrest.

Labbe, who was assigned the public defender during a brief court appearance last week, is scheduled to return to court May 4.