An Illinois man was pursued by police from a Crown Point gun show into Chicago on Saturday after police were tipped off that he had illegally purchased a firearm.
Eduart Hoxha, 34, of Morton Grove, Illinois, is charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, a Level 4 felony; Resisting Law Enforcement using a Vehicle, a Level 6 felony; and misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement and possession of marijuana.
Around 12:15 p.m., Chicago Police notified the Lake County Sheriff’s Department that they were aware of a straw purchase of firearms was happening at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, according to the probable cause affidavit. The Chicago officer saw two men leave the industrial building and put in the firearms in the trunk of a black Infiniti with Illinois plates, which belonged to Hoxha, before entering the vehicle, court records state.
The black Infiniti headed to Gary and officers tracked it heading east on 5th Avenue near Buchanan Street, records state, before police activated their emergency lights and tried to curb the vehicle after the driver of the Infiniti failed to signal a lane change. The car quickly accelerated and refused to stop, running a stop sign at Buchanan and 4th Avenue, the affidavit states.
Police pursued the Infiniti as it headed west onto the Indiana Toll Road, court records state, and the chase drifted in and out of Indiana and Illinois several times until police were able to conduct a successful pit maneuver near 78th and Woodlawn in Chicago, which caused it to spin out.
The driver of the Infiniti exited the vehicle on foot, jumping over a nearby fence with a large drop off, records state. Police officers didn’t make the jump due to the heigh, but they were able to set up a perimeter suing a helicopter, and Hoxha was eventually apprehended, the affidavit states.
Hoxha has two previous felony convictions for aggravated battery in 2018 and 2010, records state.
Police searched the Infiniti and found two AR-15 rifles, three AR magazines, 100 rounds of ammunition, a stock adapter for an AR-15, and a clear plastic bag containing marijuana, court records state.
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