A frightening scene was caught on video as a homeowner in Oak Forest said thieves opened fire on her son as he tried to stop them from stealing a vehicle outside their home.
Samantha De La Cruz, a mother of three, said her family has lived in their home for more than a decade, but the last few nights they have faced multiple frightening incidents now under investigation by area police.
De La Cruz said it started last Sunday when someone smashed the window of her son's Challenger.
"We realized the key fob was no longer connected to the car, which we called Dodge, the dealer, and they let us know that somehow they had a device which programmed our car and was trying to hook it up to their fob," she told NBC 5 in an exclusive interview.
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The next morning, the family woke to find a bizarre photo taped on their Jeep.
"We couldn’t figure it out," she said. "We’re like, 'What does this mean?'"
Then, at 1 a.m. on Friday, De La Cruz said thieves tried to steal the Jeep.
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"As they were trying, getting in position to steal the vehicle, we were alerted on our cameras," she said.
That's when De La Cruz's 23-year-old son went outside to confront the group.
"I just see him pick up my solar panel light and creep to the front of the Jeep," she said. "By then, the criminals were in the back of the Jeep getting in position."
Surveillance video captured the scene as it unfolded, showing De La Cruz's son running up and hitting the vehicle in an attempt to scare off the thieves. But instead, the group of at least three suspects opened fire, with multiple rounds of gunshots striking her home. Two bullets went into the living room and others struck windows of the family's basement.
Oak Forest police said they responded to the scene around 1:10 a.m. for a report of gunfire. Once there, they discovered several "spent shell casings from a firearm and a house that had been struck by projectiles."
De La Cruz said her son wasn't struck by the gunfire, but one bullet narrowly missed her as she stood in the doorway.
"I’m just glad that God was watching him because it could have been way worse than what it was," she said.
Police said there did not appear to be a continued threat to the community but urged anyone with information to contact them at (708) 687-1376. The incident remains under investigation, authorities said.
