Nearly $70K raised for Libertyville-area carjacking victim
A GoFundMe page for the victim of a carjacking last week near Libertyville has raised $70,000 of its $100,000 goal.
The page was started by Colleen Pragalz and the North Libertyville Estates neighborhood on behalf of 34-year-old Taylor Shepherd.
Shepherd had just returned home when two carjackers stole her Volkswagen, running over her and driving away with her 2-year-old son inside.
The boy was found in a parking lot on the 2200 block of Lakeside Drive in Waukegan and returned safely to his family. Shepherd's vehicle was found in a parking lot on the 2200 block of South Lakeside Drive, about 2 miles away, officials said.
Shepherd suffered multiple broken bones. According to the GoFundMe page, she has undergone one surgery and will need home nursing care, physical therapy and potentially more surgeries. She is 5 months pregnant and will need monitoring to ensure the baby's health.
The donations will help Shepherd and her family with medical bills and other expenses, according to the GoFundMe page.
In a post on Libertyville's website, Mayor Donna Johnson offered her prayers to the family.
“I am also a mother ... and the thought of an event like this happening close to our community is emotional and disturbing,” she wrote.
The Lake County sheriff's office is handling the investigation.
No arrests have been made in the case, Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said. Anyone with information about the carjacking should call the sheriff's office at (847) 377-4000 or submit a tip at lakecountycrimestoppers.org.