Wicker Park crime: Shocking video shows man carjacked at gunpoint in well-orchestrated ambush

CHICAGO - Shocking new video shows the carjacking epidemic in Chicago on full display with brazen thieves and a well-orchestrated ambush.

It happened earlier this month in Wicker Park on a busy stretch of Western Avenue.

It may seem hard to believe when you look at the surveillance video, but carjackings are down 26 percent in Cook County.

At this time last year, there were 1,365. Now there are a little over 1,000.

The reason for the brazen attacks? Law enforcement says a lot of the offenders are juveniles and are not being punished.

Roe Conn with the Cook County Sheriff's Department says at least half of the criminals are juveniles.

"When these young men and some young women are arrested, they will turn to us and say why are you doing this? We're getting right back out," said Conn. 

The carjackers in this incident pulled up on Sept. 2 in two separate cars, boxing in the 27-year-old driver of this Audi A4.

The driver was sitting on Wabansia and Western after 3 a.m. with his lights on. 

"Don't be in your car with lights on, engine going," said Conn. "If you're going to be sitting in your car late at night, turn the car off, turn the engine off."

The driver in the video is then seen moving his vehicle forward trying to escape, but in seconds three males emerge from the two vehicles with at least one pointing a gun right at the driver's head.

The man is pulled out of his car, hit in the head, thrown to the ground, and forced to put his hands behind his back face down on the pavement.

One of the carjackers then rummages through his pockets, taking some of his belongings.

The criminals needed his help starting the car, and then they all took off.

Members of the Chicago Vehicular Carjacking Task Force say the crews are now often robbing people, too.

Chicago police say they are looking for at least six suspects who are still on the run.