Less than two weeks after a family endured a frightening carjacking in their own backyard in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood, a second vehicle has been stolen from their home, officials confirmed.
Chicago Ald. Matt O'Shea said the Pettiford family was once again targeted by thieves, this time for the family's second vehicle.
Police said officers responded to a call of a robbery around 7:20 a.m. in the 9300 block of South Pleasant. There, a vehicle had been stolen, though it was recovered shortly after in the 9700 block of South Merrill.
The location of the theft is the same block where the Pettiford family were the victims of a harrowing carjacking just outside their home earlier this month, which was all caught on surveillance cameras.
Police said two persons of interest were being questioned in connection with the initial incident. A 24-year-old woman was also taken into custody and faces a misdemeanor charge in connection with the stolen vehicle.
The Pettiford family did not immediately respond to requests for comment surrounding the latest incident.
Police said the first robbery happened around 8:45 p.m. on Nov. 2.
Local
Michelle Pettiford was arriving home from volleyball practice with her 12-year-old daughter when they were approached by an armed pair.
Frightening surveillance footage showed two people pushing Pettiford to the ground as they shuffled through her purse while demanding her keys.
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"They're in my purse, they're in my purse," Pettiford can be heard telling them.
Meanwhile, her 12-year-old daughter ran inside screaming.
"The scream ... You know, they talk about blood curdling and all that, but that coming from your daughter," said her father Jeff Pettiford. "I'll never forget that sound."
Jeff Pettiford quickly ran outside to help his wife, but said one of the suspects then pointed a gun at his head.
"There was no fear," he said. "When they came at me and I looked at them, they weren't afraid. I'm not small. I came running directly at them and the thought wasn't, 'Oh no, let's get out of here.' It's, 'Let's turn around and potentially shoot this person.'"
Jeff Pettiford said he tried to offer them money, but they only wanted a car. So, he helped them start his Audi.
"Just press the button," he can be heard directing them in the surveillance footage.
"They couldn't figure out how to start the car. I told them how to start the car, then they wanted the key," Jeff Pettiford told NBC Chicago. "I told them where it was, they still wanted me to give it to them. It's a fab. I don't think they understood."
The pair fled the scene in the Pettiford's vehicle and while the family wasn't physically hurt, they said the emotional trauma from the incident has been challenging.
"I think it went through my head, 'Is this real? Is this really happening?'" Michelle Pettiford told TODAY.com in an interview.
Police said Area Two detectives are investigating and anyone with information can leave anonymous tips at CPDTip.com.
