A man on parole for 2nd Degree Murder has been accused of attempting to carjack a vehicle, at gunpoint, from a grandfather and his grandson in Naperville. According to police reports, the grandson was in the vehicle at the time of the attempt.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres announced Saturday that the accused has been charged with with one count of Attempt Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking (Class 1 Felony), one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon (Class 2 Felony). Bond was set at $200,000.
The accused is currently on parole for Second Degree Murder. His parole expires on January 30, 2024.
According to prosecutors, on Friday at approximately 12:13 p.m., Naperville police officers responded to a call of an attempted carjacking in the 1300 block of McDowell Road. Approximately forty minutes later, a concerned citizen called 9-1-1 regarding a suspicious man hiding in the bushes near Hinterlong Lane, which is approximately 1.6 miles away from the alleged attempted carjacking.
Officers responded to the 9-1-1- call and located an individual, later identified as the accused, nearby. It is alleged that he began running from officers and during the chase, a loaded Glock handgun fell from his pocket. After a brief pursuit, he was taken into custody.
It is alleged that the accused approached a man who was putting his grandson in his vehicle and asked the man for directions. While the victim gave the directions, the accused pulled out a firearm and told the man “give me your f*****g keys.” When the man refused, the accused fled the scene.
“The allegations that in the middle of the afternoon, the accused, who is currently on parole for second degree murder, threatened to steal at gunpoint a man’s car while his grandson was inside the vehicle, are outrageous and will be met with the full force and effect of the law,” Berlin said. “We are all very thankful that no harm came to the victim or his grandson. Naperville is one of the safest communities in the entire nation in which to live thanks to an active and involved community. I commend the concerned citizen for calling 9-1-1 when they suspected something wasn’t right.”
The accused’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 10, 2023, for status in front of Judge Margaret O’Connell.
