Chicago men sentenced for Beverly carjacking captured on video
CHICAGO - Two Chicago men now know how much time they will spend behind bars after carjacking a family at gunpoint in Beverly in 2023.
What we know:
Kenneth Merritt, 29, and Damarri Conner, 23, carjacked an Audi sedan in the backyard of a Southwest Side home on the evening of Nov. 2, 2023, according to federal prosecutors.
A woman and her daughter had just returned home when Merritt and Conner emerged from a hiding place and attacked them.
2023 mugshots of Kenneth Merritt and Damarri Conner | CPD
Prosecutors said Merritt threw the woman to the ground, took her purse and threatened to kill her and her daughter. When the woman’s husband rushed outside to help, Conner pointed a gun at him.
The men then took the Audi and drove away. The carjacking was captured on home-security video.
Video shows armed Chicago carjacking from 2023; both men convicted, sentenced
Two Chicago men will spend more than 14 years in federal prison after prosecutors say they carjacked a family at gunpoint in Beverly in Nov. 2023.
What they're saying:
"This crime was heinous and violent," Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner told the judge before sentencing in Merritt’s case. "The trauma he inflicted on his victims will take years to repair."
What's next:
Merritt pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm offenses and a judge sentenced him to 14.5 years in prison on Sept. 3.
Conner also pleaded guilty to carjacking and firearm offenses. He was sentenced to the same prison term on April 8.
Arrest histories
Chicago police records show Merritt had prior arrests dating to 2015, including allegations of battery, trespassing, possessing or selling a stolen vehicle, burglary and unlawful use of a weapon. His record also lists a 2016 arrest for aggravated vehicular hijacking involving a weapon.
Conner’s arrest history dates to 2021 and includes allegations of simple assault, trespassing and unlawful use of a weapon.
The Source: The information in this story came from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Police Department.