advertisement

Beach Park man accused of 3 carjackings, death of 11-year-old

A 34-year-old Beach Park man was in Milwaukee County jail Wednesday, awaiting extradition to Illinois on charges he carjacked three vehicles in the Chicago area and caused a crash that led to the death of an 11-year-old Chicago boy.

The story of Rockie Douglas, whose last listed address is the 12700 block of Major Avenue in Beach Park, is a complicated one. It promises to get even more complicated as law enforcement agencies in both Illinois and Wisconsin attempt to unravel a tangle of suspected offenses.

About 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, U.S. Marshals arrested Douglas in the drive-through lane of a McDonald’s in Milwaukee, ending a manhunt that began Friday in Chicago.

When he was arrested Douglas was driving the last car he hijacked, a 2007 Honda Accord that he stole last Saturday from a driver who stopped to help him after the second car police believe he stole broke down on a ramp from I-294 to I-88, authorities said.

Ed Farrell, supervisory inspector with the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, said the task force was alerted Tuesday that Douglas was in a neighborhood on the north side of Milwaukee. He said marshals canvassed the area before spotting the car in the drive-through.

“We were able to pin his car against the wall with two other cars, to make sure he wouldn’t flee,” Farrell said.

Douglas’ capture was the result of a joint effort of the Chicago Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, Illinois State Police, McHenry County sheriff’s office, Lake County sheriff’s office and the Zion Police Department, among other local law enforcement agencies.

According to published reports, Douglas became a wanted man on Dec. 12 after police said he was pulled over in Zion driving a stolen car. Police say he fled and disappeared. The following day, published reports said, he was suspected of robbing a woman of her purse in a Gurnee parking lot.

About 11:20 a.m. Friday, authorities said, Douglas carjacked a green Dodge Caravan near Irving Park Road and Halsted in Chicago, forcing the driver out of the minivan before fleeing.

Shortly after noon Saturday, Chicago police tried to curb the Caravan, but Douglas fled and ultimately crashed the van into a Chevy Suburban on the 5500 block of South Halsted Avenue, killing 11-year-old Donovan Turnage and seriously injuring the boy’s father, police said. Donovan and his father were on their way to get haircuts for the holidays, according to published reports.

Chicago police said Douglas ran out of the wrecked Caravan and hijacked another vehicle nearby. Later on Saturday, that vehicle broke down on a ramp from I-294 to westbound I-88. When another driver attempted to aide him, Douglas carjacked that vehicle, the 2007 Honda Accord, police said, and he was last seen fleeing west on I-88.

Chicago police said that in at least one of the crimes, Douglas displayed a blue steel handgun.

According to a news release issued by the Illinois State Police, Douglas is also a suspect in other robberies and crimes from Chicago to Wisconsin. With Douglas now in custody, authorities in the various jurisdictions will work together to determine the appropriate venue for prosecuting these cases.

In addition, Illinois authorities will be seeking his extradition to face criminal charges in Cook, DuPage and Lake counties.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.