Worth woman charged in Hickory carjacking

by William Jones
From The Reporter

A Worth woman is accused of using a blade to take a car from a woman outside a Hickory Hills drugstore.

Kelly Skarnulis, 33, is charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking after she allegedly took the woman’s vehicle from her outside Walgreens, 95th Street and Roberts Road, at 5:05 p.m. Sept. 11.

The 29-year old alleged victim had put her 8-month-old child in the car when she was confronted by Skarnulis, who was holding a razor knife, Hickory Hills police Lt. Mark Zvokel said. Skarnulis told the woman she wanted her money and car, a 2001 Infiniti, he said.

The woman reportedly gave Skarnulis her purse and took her baby from the vehicle. Skarnulis then fled in the vehicle, Zvokel said. The victim’s 9-year-old child was in the store at the time of the incident, he added.

Surveillance camera footage shows Skarnulis selected the woman inside the store and followed her until she left, Zvokel said. Skarnulis picked up the knife while inside the store, he said. Neither the victim nor her child were hurt, he added.

Skarnulis is known to police and officers apprehended her at her residence roughly two hours after the incident, Zvokel said. Police ordered the woman to the ground, not knowing if she was still armed, and she gave no resistance, he added.

Skarnulis admitted to her involvement in the carjacking and gave a general location for the vehicle, which was not at her residence, Zvokel said. Police found the car at 11:45 a.m. the following day in Robbins, he added. The woman’s purse and other belongings were still in the vehicle, but her money had been taken, he said.

Skarnulis offered no reason for the crime, but is a known drug user, police said. Cook County court records indicate Skarnulis served 24 months in jail after being convicted of a felony count of possession of a controlled substance in 2000.

Another person is suspected of picking up the car from Skarnulis’ home and is being investigated, but was not involved in the carjacking, Zvokel said. That person had not been charged with any crimes as of Tuesday afternoon.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge John Joseph Hynes set Skarnulis’ bond at $75,000 during a hearing Sept. 12 at Cook County’s 5th Municipal District Courthouse in Bridgeview. Her next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2 in Bridgeview.