A Near North Side man is charged with trying to carjack a driver in the Lakeview neighborhood this week.
The victim told police it happened after he pulled over on the 1500 block of West Barry at 9:39 p.m. Tuesday. That’s when a man walked up, opened his driver’s side door, and ordered him out. The victim closed the door, but the offender opened it two more times while ordering the driver to get out, prosecutors said Thursday.
After the third failed attempt, the offender ran away, and the victim called 911. Three surveillance cameras reportedly captured images of the suspect leaving the scene.
Police searched the area for a suspect wearing a bright white sweatshirt and found 19-year-old Kentrell Wyatt on the 3200 block of North Lincoln a few minutes later. Prosecutors said the victim identified him as the would-be carjacker.
Wyatt is charged with attempted vehicular hijacking. Judge Charles Beach ordered him held in lieu of $50,000 bail. Wyatt will need to post a $5,000 deposit bond to get out of jail before trial.
Prosecutors said Wyatt had three juvenile adjudications during 2018: one for possessing a stolen motor vehicle, one for criminal trespass to a vehicle, and one for burglary.
His defense attorney said Wyatt “might be in the middle of some sort of [mental health] episode.”