Crime & Safety

Shorewood Cops Run Down Fugitive Wanted For Gun Store Thefts

The man Shorewood cops chased out of town Thursday and captured Friday was wanted in New Lenox and now faces charges in Joliet as well.

The Joliet men who tossed two guns — one of which was recently stolen in a New Lenox burglary — out of a car as they raced away from the Shorewood cops Thursday have been captured, police said.

Shorewood and Joliet officers teamed to raid a house on Joliet's east side Friday night and took into custody both the driver from Thursday's flight as well as a passenger who was along for the ride, police said.

The driver, 21-year-old David Magana of 103 Miller Ave., was charged with fleeing police and his passenger — Eduardo Almazan, 19, of 112 Baker Ave. — was picked up on a warrant for possession of drug equipment, officials said.

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Both men were carted off to the county jail where they remained in custody Saturday.

Magana and Almazan were driving through  Thursday afternoon when an officer tried to pull them over for a seat belt violation, police said. But instead of stopping, the Chevy Impala got on Interstate 55 and sped south.

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The  broke off the chase for safety reasons at Interstate 80.

The fleeing vehicle reportedly got off I-55 at Route 6 in Channahon. A pair of guns tossed out of the car were recovered near the exit ramp, police said.

One of the two guns had been stolen during a burglary of Storm's Downrange Sports in New Lenox last month, police said. New Lenox police have yet to confirm whether Almazan or Magana will be charged in connection with the gun shop job.

The Shorewood officer chasing the Impala on Thursday reportedly identified Magana and Almazan through the vehicle's plate number and the men's physical appearance.

The Joliet and Shorewood officers apprehended the two men at Almazan's house. During the search of his residence they reportedly found and confiscated marijuana and drug equipment.

The cops then moved on to Magana's place on Miller Avenue where they located and seized a .22-caliber revolver, police said.

Just hours earlier, the Shorewood police  while he was being treated at Morris Hospital.

Craig Hufford, 25, jumped out a hospital window, stole a car, ran over a Grundy County correctional officers foot and made it all the way to Shorewood before police chased him back to Minooka and took him into custody, police said.

The sport utility vehicle Hufford stole blew out one tire and another "disintegrated" on the rim before the truck came to a stop.


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