Suspect charged after Lake County car theft crew leads police on pursuit that ends in crash near Waukegan school

17/12/2023

Alexion D. Agee, 18, of Gurnee, (inset) was taken into custody and several others were able to escape following a police pursuit involving three stolen vehicles that ended in one of the cars crashing in front of Clearview Elementary School at Williamsburg Drive and Berwick Boulevard in Waukegan Friday morning. | Background Photo: Mauricio Vazquez Mvr; Inset: Provided

A Gurnee man has been charged after a Lake County vehicle theft crew led police officers on a chase that ended with one of three stolen vehicles crashing near a school in Waukegan. Alexion D.

Agee, 18, of Gurnee, was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, three counts of aggravated fleeing, speeding, failure to reduce speed, three counts of improper traffic usage and three counts of disregarding a traffic control device. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:55 a.m. Friday to the 1100 block of Bellows Way in Volo for a report of a stolen vehicle.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the victim reported he went outside and noticed his 2022 Kia Stinger was stolen from his driveway. The victim reviewed video surveillance and observed a white SUV pull up to his driveway around 7 a.m.

One suspect was taken into custody and several others were able to escape following a police pursuit involving three stolen vehicles that ended in one of the cars crashing in front of Clearview Elementary School at Williamsburg Drive and Berwick Boulevard in Waukegan Friday morning. | Photo Submitted to Lake and McHenry County Scanner

Two men, in their late teens to early 20s, exited the SUV and approached the Kia. Agee was seen on surveillance video getting into the driver’s seat of the Kia and backing down the driveway before fleeing the scene, prosecutors said.

Sheriff’s deputies worked with the victim to track the stolen vehicle in real time. Sheriff’s dispatchers were able to spot the stolen vehicle driving while reviewing traffic cameras, Covelli said. Dispatchers and responding deputies noted the Kia was in a caravan with the white SUV, determined to be a Hyundai Tucson, and a black Dodge Charger.

It was determined the Hyundai was stolen from Lincolnshire and used in an earlier attempted armed carjacking in Round Lake Friday morning.

The Dodge was stolen from Lindenhurst. Sheriff’s deputies located the caravan of stolen vehicles in the area of Green Bay Road and 33rd Street in Beach Park, Covelli said. Sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop the stolen vehicles but the drivers of all three refused to stop.

Covelli said deputies pursued the vehicles for approximately four miles. During the pursuit, the Dodge Charger continued southbound when the Kia and Hyundai turned on a side street in Waukegan.

Agee, who was the alleged driver of the Kia, struck a utility pole in the area of Williamsburg Drive and Berwick Boulevard in Waukegan as the chase continued. Agee and the passenger fled from the Kia, which crashed directly in front of Clearview Elementary School.

Agee was quickly apprehended by one of the deputies, Covelli said. The passenger was seen by a witness entering the stolen Hyundai before the Hyundai fled again. Nobody was injured in the incident.

None of the charges by themselves are detainable under the SAFE-T Act’s “real and present danger” criteria; however, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Agee under the premise that he is a willful flight risk.

Lake County Judge Patricia Cornell on Saturday ordered Agee detained in the Lake County Jail until a detention hearing could be held on Monday.