Three males approached a woman at Glencoe Golf Club Thursday morning, displayed a handgun and attempted to hijack her car, according to police and the woman.
The Chicago woman, who is not being named as she is the victim of a crime, said she typically plays golf at the club three days a week. She was running late Thursday morning and noticed the three young men sitting on the ledge at the golf club entrance on Westley Road around 8:05 a.m.
She said they were wearing identical khaki shirts and thought in the moment they might have been part of a high school golf team. As she was getting out of her car, a Lexus, they approached her from behind, she said.
“They looked at me funny,” she said.
She left her purse and phone on the front seat and opened the back seat when they approached.
“I started yelling ‘Get the hell out of here’ and ‘Help, help,'” she said.
One member of the group got in the driver’s seat, one in the passenger’s seat and the third person got in back seat and pushed her to the ground and displayed a gun, she said.
The woman then ran to a maintenance worker on a golf cart, who heard her yell for help, took a video of one the males and started chasing him, she said.
The woman said her car has a keyless ignition and the fob was in her pocket, otherwise they would have easily stolen the car.
Glencoe Deputy Chief Rich Weiner said the three fled into the forest preserves. One suspect was taken into custody and the other two remain at large, Weiner said.
Zayveon Thomas, 18, of Beach Park, was charged with attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking, possession of a stolen vehicle and aggravated battery, police said.
Police said the other two suspects are Black men between the ages of 18 and 20, with slim builds and their hair in braids or a ponytail.
The handgun has not been recovered, Weiner said.
Weiner said the investigation is ongoing and police remain in the area of the golf club and the forest preserves south of Dundee Road near West School. Other area police departments are assisting in the search for the two other individuals.
Weiner said Glencoe police have been warning residents for years to lock their cars.
“People have become emboldened to come to Glencoe and continue to steal cars,” Weiner said.
The woman, who has a bruised rib, said she is usually more careful but was running late and got caught off-guard.
Susan Berger is a freelance reporter.
