Two robbery offenders, who were arrested within 30 minutes of a vehicular hijacking, are now charged with multiple felonies thanks to collaboration between multiple bureaus and units within the Chicago Police Department.
On January 11, 2026, a 17-year-old male victim and a 24-year-old male victim were sitting inside a vehicle in the 5900 block of N. Glenwood Avenue in the Edgewater community when three armed offenders approached them. The offenders demanded the victims’ property and forced the victims to exit their vehicle. As the offenders entered the vehicle, one of the offenders discharged a firearm, but did not strike anyone. The victims ran from the area as the offenders fled in the vehicle.
The victims called 911 and were able to provide the location of the vehicle through live GPS tracking. Citywide Robbery Task Force officers, who were already conducting a robbery enforcement mission, responded and located the vehicle in the 8000 block of S. Paulina. When officers located the vehicle, they also observed the offenders and were able to apprehend two of the offenders. Cristian De Jesus Mazza Maita, 19, and a 17-year-old male juvenile were both arrested. Four firearms were also recovered.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to apprehend the third offender.
The 19-year-old offender is now charged with:
- One felony count of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking with a Firearm
- One felony count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm
- One felony count of Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Person Under 21
During the investigation by Area Three Detectives, the 17-year-old offender was also identified as the individual who participated in two additional robberies at Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train stations in 2025.
One of the two additional robberies occurred in the 1500 block of N. Clybourn on July 12, 2025. With community assistance, Citywide Robbery Task Force Detectives assigned to transit crimes gathered information that identified the 17-year-old juvenile as one of the offenders. The arrest of this juvenile offender also led to the arrest of a second offender, Crismardin Hernandez, 20. He is now charged with one count of felony Armed Robbery with a Firearm for this robbery on Clybourn.
The second of the additional robberies the juvenile offender is charged with occurred in the 1100 block of W. Berwyn on October 31, 2025. Citywide Robbery Task Force Detectives also gathered the evidence that was necessary to charge him in this incident.
The 17-year-old offender, who is charged in three separate robberies, now faces:
- One felony count of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking with a Firearm
- One felony count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm
- One felony count of Aggravated Robbery – Indicate Armed with a Firearm
- One felony count of Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Person Under 21
- Two misdemeanor counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
- One misdemeanor count of Criminal Trespass to a Vehicle – Physical Control
These arrests and charges are the result of the great partnership between CPD members assigned to the Citywide Robbery Task Force, the Public Transportation Section, the Area Three Detective Division, the 20th (Lincoln) District, the 9th (Deering) District, the 6th (Gresham) District and the Helicopter Unit.