UPTOWN — An 11-year-old boy is one of three people accused of carjacking a man in Uptown Saturday afternoon, police and prosecutors said.
The 11-year-old is facing felony charges in juvenile court following the weekend attack in the 600 block of West Buena Avenue. John Daniels, 19, of the 6800 block of South Dorchester Avenue, was also charged and ordered held without bail in Cook County court Monday.
Police said a 59-year-old man parked his Toyota Avalon on Buena Avenue and was getting items out of the trunk around 1:30 p.m. Saturday when three males approached.
One of them punched the man multiple times, breaking his orbital bone near his eye, took his car keys and the three drove away in the man’s Toyota, police and prosecutors said.
Two hours later, around 3:40 p.m., officers on patrol spotted the car in the 4200 block of West Van Buren Street in Garfield Park, and attempted to pull over the vehicle, which fled and crashed into a fence.
The three got out of the car and attempted to run, but two of them were arrested.
The 11-year-old boy was charged with a felony count of vehicular hijacking and a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass to a vehicle. He is scheduled to appear in juvenile court June 14.
Daniels was charged with a felony count of vehicular hijacking, and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving. The third person is still at large.
Cook County prosecutors said Monday a neighbor of the victim provided cell phone video that showed the carjacking.
Prosecutors said Daniels admitted to taking part in the carjacking and that he was easily identified in the witness video. They also said he has a pending felony theft case and also is believed to have carjacked someone in February at gunpoint, but that victim declined to press charges.
Assistant Cook County Public Defender Genevieve O’Toole said Daniels had “a lot of mental health issues” and said he is currently residing in a homeless shelter. She also said Daniels grew up a ward of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and was also grieving the loss of his 2-month-old son, who died in January.
Cook County Judge Charles Beach denied bail, saying he felt Daniels is currently a danger to the community. He also chided Daniels for not looking out for the 11-year-old.
“You brought along a young man of 11 years of age to be involved. And I say that because you, being a senior to that individual by eight years, have a responsibility as an adult in our society to lead young men like that on a straight and narrow path, one of good. And the example you set on that date is not one of good, it is one of malice,” Beach said.
Daniels’ next court date is scheduled for May 26.
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