BRIGHTON PARK — After a Sunday afternoon carjacking left a 19-year-old boxer without a car to get to the gym, neighborhood activists are demanding Chicago Police to find the robbers.
“Today we're asking to bring more vigilance to this problem,” said Raul Montes Jr., the Little Village activist who organized a news conference at Sam Colonna’s Boxing Tuesday. “We're asking for more police in the area."
The carjacking happened around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, police said, in the 2600 block of West 35th Street.
Oak Lawn native Joey Maloney had stopped his white 2005 Lincoln LS, a gift from his grandfather, at a stop sign outside the boxing gym, where a blue SUV rolled into his back bumper, police said.
Maloney got out of his car, and two men got out of the SUV. There wasn’t any damage on Maloney’s car, and he told the driver of the SUV there was no need to call police.
“The next thing I know, the driver says, ‘Now!’” Maloney said in an interview.
Both men drew handguns and pointed them at Maloney. One man pushed Maloney to the ground. On his belly, he watched his car speed away.
Maloney ran into the gym and told boxing trainer Sam Colonna, who called police.
In the car were Maloney’s boxing gloves, his first championship belt, blood pressure medications and a radio. He’s now driving his grandfather’s car to the gym and trying to figure out how he’ll get his own car.
"Hopefully we'll get it in one piece," Maloney said Tuesday.
Bill Luna, a board member of the Chicago Youth Boxing Club, said boxing gyms are neighborhood safe havens that keep kids off the street.
"When this happens to one of our boxers, I think it's a real tragedy for the whole community," Luna said. "These kids really work hard."
Anyone with information about the carjacking can call Chicago Police detectives at 312-747-8382.
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