MOLINE, Ill. — A group of juveniles was allegedly involved in a string of crimes involving a stolen vehicle, ghost gun and reckless driving Wednesday through the Illinois Quad Cities, according to the Moline Police Department.
At about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, police were called to the 4700 block of 16th Street after an SUV crashed and rolled off the roadway. Witnesses recalled four to six juveniles fleeing the scene of the crash.
Several of them were picked up in the mall parking lot by another car, according to a release from the police department.
Officers discovered the SUV had been reported stolen Wednesday morning in Moline, and the same vehicle had been involved in an incident on East 4th Avenue in Milan less than an hour before the crash, police said. Witnesses in Milan reported the SUV driving recklessly in the grass near Pappa's Park and firing a gun several times.
Moline officers were able to locate the car that had picked up the subjects and took the occupants of the car into custody. While searching the car, police also discovered an unserialized semi-automatic handgun, what is often referred to as a "ghost gun," in the backseat.
Two 14-year-old boys from Moline and a 17-year-old boy from Kewanee were arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle.
The case remained under investigation as of Thursday afternoon, police said.
Anyone with information was advised to contact the Moline Police Department at 309-797-0401 or Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500. You can also report a tip using the P3 Tips smartphone app.
Police also advised the community to do its part to curb the stolen vehicle epidemic by always locking cars.