A Northbrook woman has turned herself into police after a warrant was issued for her arrest in connection with a Deerfield hit-and-run that left a 12-year-old boy seriously injured last week, authorities said Friday.
Stacy Shapiro, 46, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, Deerfield police said. The felony charge could mean three to seven years in jail, authorities said.
Earlier this week, Deerfield police said they found what they believed was the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run crash.
Authorities said Wednesday the suspected vehicle was located and is "being processed for items of evidentiary value." A person of interest was also being interviewed at the time, police said.
The 12-year-old boy who was hit by the vehicle remains in critical condition following the crash, which took place just after 7 p.m. Friday near Deerfield Road and Beverly Place. His father said on Friday the child was starting to open his eyes.
Thompson said his son, Chase, who has autism and is non-verbal, managed to get out of the family's home Friday evening near the intersection of Deerfield Road and Beverly Place. He ran into Deerfield Road, Thompson said, and was struck. The driver fled the scene.
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The crash happened in a matter of seconds outside their home, Thompson said.
The child's father made a public plea on Monday for the driver who struck the boy to come forward.
"We understand this was an accident," said Thad Thompson outside of Lurie Children's Hospital. "A big part of the reason we need you to come forward, we need help with insurance. If you don’t come forward, Chase’s future medical bills will be a lot more difficult for us to handle."
Thompson said Chase is "still touch and go," and the family is "hoping and praying" for his recovery. The crash left Chase with severe facial injuries, broken bones and very bruised lungs, he said.
"We do understand this was an accident and you made a massive mistake in a moment of fear," Thompson said Monday in a message to the driver. "We can forgive them. To prove that to you, we’ll put our money toward your defense. We want you to turn yourself in."
Thompson described Chase as a "very, very sweet boy" who he loves more than anything in the world. Chase doesn't understand language, Thompson said, and because of his autism, "every surgery will require general anesthesia."
Shapiro was processed and ultimately released on bond Friday after a judge set it at $250,000. She is expected to appear in court on Feb. 18 in Waukegan, police said.
