Woman carjacked at gunpoint in South Chicago

A 21-year-old woman was carjacked at gunpoint Friday in South Chicago.

A male walked up and tapped a gun on her window as she waited for her father about 9:15 p.m. in the 8700 block of South Escanaba Avenue, Chicago police said.

The woman complied and the male drove off in her 2013 Toyota Highlander, police said. She was uninjured.

Earlier Friday, a private security firm announced they would be stationing guards at gas stations throughout the South Side to combat the rash in carjackings. The Chicago Police Department vowed in a news conference Thursday that they would get the surge under control.

Carjackings in the Chicago area have been on a steady rise since last year, when the number of carjackings within city limits more than doubled compared to 2019. So far in 2021, there have been at least 144 carjackings reported throughout the city.