Shorewood man allegedly hijacked minivan at New Lenox hospital to buy drugs

A Shorewood man allegedly hijacked a vehicle outside a New Lenox hospital and ran over an elderly man because he was “desperate and needed drugs to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms,” court records show.

On Monday, Will County prosecutors filed a petition against Kyle Sears, 35, who has been charged with the Oct. 23 aggravated vehicular hijacking of a Dodge Caravan outside Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.

Sears also has been charged with vehicular invasion, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated battery to Andrew Horwath, 80, whom prosecutors said was run over by the Dodge Caravan after the carjacking.

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak is scheduled to consider the petition to deny Sears’ jail release Nov. 21.

In the petition filed by Assistant State’s Attorney Jim Long, Sears allegedly told police that he checked himself out of Silver Oaks Behavioral Hospital in New Lenox, where he was supposed to undergo treatment for drugs.

Sears said he had a cellphone and called for a ride, but “no one was answering,” according to Long’s petition.

“[Sears] missed the bus, and was desperate and needed drugs to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms,” according to the petition. “He saw an opportunity to leave, and went up to a van that had an older man being put in the front passenger seat and saw the keys in the ignition.”

The older man was Horwath, who was supposed to go home after receiving medical treatment at Silver Cross Hospital, according to Long’s petition. Horwath was brought outside in a wheelchair, and a friend was helping him into then Dodge Caravan.

When Sears hopped into the driver’s seat of the vehicle, Horwath’s legs were still outside the vehicle, according to the petition.

“[Sears] yelled for everyone to get out of the vehicle. [Sears] told [Horwath] to get out, and [Horwath] did not,” according to the petition.

Sears allegedly pushed Horwath out of the moving vehicle and “ran over [Horwath’s legs] with the vehicle he just stole,” according to the petition.

Horwath suffered a broken leg, and he was hospitalized once again for treatment, according to Long’s petition.

After Sears was apprehended in Grundy County, he asked whether Horwath was “doing OK” and said that he felt “like a piece of [expletive],” according to the petition.

Sears denied pushing Horwath.

After the carjacking, Sears allegedly said he went to Raising Cane’s restaurant to “buy drugs from his dealer,” according to the petition.