Three Chicago Kids Successfully Fought off a Carjacker with an iPad

People all over the world use Apple’s iPad for a variety of productive and creative tasks. But at least one person in Chicago can say that they’ve used the tablet to fend off a carjacker.

Late last month, three Chicago area children were sitting in their dad’s running 2018 Toyota Highlander while he was grabbing dinner at a nearby Domino’s. The eldest of the three kids, 16-year-old Imama Muratab, was just falling asleep when a Toyota Camry pulled up next to them.

Just then, a 17-year-old carjacker jumped into the driver seat and took off with the three kids inside — including Imama’s 10-year-old brother and 5-year-old sister.

“This dude just jumps in the car and he looks back and I realize it’s not my dad, so I go ‘Who are you?!’” Imama told local media outlet WLS. “And he starts driving really fast, going in like a zig-zag pattern.”

Imama said he panicked and started yelling at the thief, who threatened to shoot her if she didn’t get out of the car.

“I was just scared for my life,” Imama said. “I was in panic mode, like, I wanted to cry but I knew I had to do something that can help.”

The 16-year-old’s yelling eventually woke up her brother, Hasnain, who quickly took action with a nearby Apple device.

“I said, ‘I’ll get out, fine,’ and then I started hitting him with the iPad,” Hasnain recalled to WLS.

Together, the three siblings fought the would-be car thief as best as they could from the backseat of the vehicle. While Imama’s phone was dead, she spotted her father’s phone.

“I see my dad’s phone in the passenger seat so I, like, try to strangle the dude from the back because I was right behind him,” Imama said.

As she attempted to restrain the driver, she managed to dial 911. Just then, the carjacker jumped out of the vehicle and got into another car.

Police found the Toyota Highlander with all three kids safely inside. They were all reunited with their dad.

The Camry that the car thieves were riding in, which was also stolen, was eventually located. While the driver fled from the scene, police took four people between the ages of 16 and 22 into custody.