Suspect in Bridgeview car and child theft arrested, charged and to appear in bond court this morning

Bridgeview Police filed multiple charges against Rudy Gutierrez, 28, in the theft of a vehicle and four-year-old child Liam Barbarasa on Monday evening around 5:35 PM from in front of a 7-Eleven at 79th and Roberts Road.

Barbarasa was left in his father’s car when the father pulled up to a 7-Eleven to order a pizza. When the clerk said the wait time was going to be long, the father exited the store and discovered that his vehicle, child and identification in the car had been taken. Once reported to police an Amber Alert was issued and Bridgeview Police began an immediate investigation in cooperation with numerous police agencies.

With the help of many police agencies, Bridgeview Police quickly focused in on Gutierrez as a potential suspect based on eye-witness accounts and information from the investigation. Gutierrez, who is from the 4600 Block of Winchester in Lyons, Illinois, was known as an individual who often hung around the area panhandling. He was brought in for questioning during the investigation and held until charged.

Rudy Gutierrez suspect in car and child theft Bridgeview Nov. 17, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Bridgeview Police Department

Police tracked the stolen vehicle first to 26th Street and California and then to Irving Park Road where it was abandoned. Police said license plate readers identified the vehicle and video and witnesses identified the 2001 blue vehicle that was stolen.

Gutierrez reportedly took public transportation to return to Bridgview when he was spotted by an FBI agent and police. Liam Barbarasa was found to be unharmed and returned to his family.

Charges filed by the Bridgeview Police Department include:

– Aggravated Kidnapping (class X)
– Vehicular Invasion (class 1)
– Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle (class 2)
– Unlawful Use of Credit Card (class 4)

Liam Barbarasa, 4, was in vehicle stolen in Bridgeview on Nov. 17, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Bridgeview Police Department

Gutierrez was also found to be on parole. IDOC was contacted and issued a parole violation warrant. The FBI has also played a role in the case along with support from many Police Departments including Police from Chicago, Justice, Burbank, Bedford Park, Summit, Willow Springs, Hodgkins, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Oak Lawn, Crestwood, the Cook County Sheriff’s Police and the Illinois State Police.

Gutierrez will appear in Bond Court at the 5th District, Bridgeview Court in room 103, at 9 AM this morning (Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2020).

Click here to subscribe FREE to Ray Hanania's Columns

Author
Recent Posts

Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter