CHICAGO — A North Park man had just returned home from visiting his cancer-stricken wife in the hospital Wednesday night when two alleged carjackers hit him over the head and drove off in his Mercedes, prosecutors said.
The man, 76, was putting his black 1998 Mercedes away in the garage in the 3600 block of West Peterson Avenue when two young men passing by asked for the time, Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antonietti said.
The carjackers then hit the man over the head with an unknown object, knocking him unconscious, Antonietti said.
"(They) preyed on a 76-year-old man at a very vulnerable time," Antonietti said. "(They) struck the victim, rendering him unconscious."
Joe Milton, 21, and the unidentified juvenile offender allegedly grabbed the man's keys and drove off in his car.
A short time later, police caught up with the stolen car in the 4600 block of North Pulaski Street, according to a police report.
The juvenile, who was allegedly driving at the time, tried to get away but smashed into another car causing chain reaction wreck, Antonietti said. The accident disabled the Mercedes in the 4600 block of North Beacon Street, where police arrested both Milton and the juvenile.
Milton, of the 5300 block of West Van Buren Street, and a 17-year-old whose name is not being released, were charged, according to police.
On a charge of vehicular hijacking, Milton was ordered held on $1 million bail by Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Friday.
The teen is charged with one count of vehicular hijacking, one count of aggravated fleeing the police, three counts of assault, one count of leaving the scene and one count of resisting an officer.
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