Chicago Tribune (Sunday)

Women lead cops on chase after shopliftin­g incident

- By Rosemary Sobol rsobol@chicagotri­bune.com

Three Chicago women are suspected of crashing into a police car during a chase that ended when the stolen car they were fleeing in plunged into a ditch while loaded with $2,500 in stolen designer duds in northwest Deer Park, officials said.

About 5:40 p.m. Friday, police were patrolling a retail shopping area in the 21800 block of West Long Grove Road when a white Chevrolet Impala that was reported stolen drove past them, and the officers “recognized the occupants” from police bulletins detailing retail thefts in the Chicagolan­d area, according to a written statement from the Lake County sheriff’s office.

The 18-year-old woman behind the wheel of the Impala, Jonva C. Vivetter would not stop when sheriff ’s deputies activated their lights and sirens and tried to pull her over, and officers began chasing them southbound on U.S. 12 (Rand Road), the statement said.

As Vivetter got close to Lake Cook Road, she crashed into at least three cars, including a sheriff’s squad car, and continued east onto Lake Cook Road before getting onto Illinois Route 53, where Vivetter veered into a ditch, and she and the other two women — Jamesha J. McChristin­e and

Dezire Cashay Ann Parker — jumped out and began running away.

McChristin­e, 21, was taken into custody promptly, but police had to tase Vivetter and eventually arrested Parker, 20, according to the sheriff ’s statement.

After searching the Impala, police found about $2,500 worth of expensive perfume including Chanel, Ugg boots and several pieces of clothing, all believed to have been stolen, the statement said.

Vivetter, of the 6500 block of South Morgan Street in Chicago’s Englewood neighborho­od; Parker, of the 3200 block of North Clark Street in Lakeview; and McChristin­e, of the 7900 block of South Langley Drive in Chatham, were taken to the Lake County Jail, where they remained after their first court appearance.

Vivetter, charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, and fleeing and eluding, both of which are felonies, was also wanted on five warrants — four involving accusation­s of shopliftin­g and retail theft. Parker and McChristin­e were charged with misdemeano­r resisting arrest.

Sheriff ’s police detectives are continuing to investigat­e, and additional charges are possible.

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