#42: Man nearly killed beloved chef during a violent carjacking and robbery in Chinatown—while on felony bail, prosecutors say

The man who brutally beat and carjacked beloved chef Jin Lew in Chinatown this spring, leaving the 61-year-old with injuries so severe that he will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life, was on bail for a pending stolen motor vehicle case at the time of the attack, prosecutors said Saturday.

Termaine Patterson is the 42nd person accused of killing or shooting—or attempting to kill or shoot—someone in Chicago while awaiting trial for a felony this year. The alleged crimes involved at least 79 victims, 18 of whom died.

Termaine Patterson (left) and Jin Lew | CPD; Facebook

Assistant State’s Attorney William Lacy said that Patterson and an accomplice carjacked another driver around 3 a.m. on April 7, then drove the hijacked car to the 2500 block of South Princeton in Chinatown.

There, Patterson and two accomplices pulled Lew from his car and horribly beat Lew with their feet and fists, leaving him unconscious in the street until he was discovered by a passerby, according to Lacy.

Patterson allegedly went through Lew’s pockets, took his keys, and stole his car.

Later the same day, Patterson used Lew’s credit card to make purchases at a gas station and Riverside Mall, Lacy said. The first transaction was captured on video, and mall security footage showed Patterson parking Lew’s car before the second purchase. Detectives also found Patterson’s palm print inside Lew’s car after it was recovered.

“In the same night, within less than two hours of each other, he hijacked two separate people’s cars while he’s on bond for possessing a stolen motor vehicle,” Lacy alleged Saturday.

Judge Maryam Ahmad ordered Patterson held without bail on the new charges and for violating the terms of bail in the pending stolen motor vehicle case.

Prosecutors charged him with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated vehicular hijacking of a handicapped person, vehicular hijacking, aggravated battery of a person over the age of 60, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, robbery, and unauthorized use of a credit card.

Patterson was also one of three adults arrested when a large group of people overtook the intersection of North Avenue and Clark Street in Old Town on May 11.

The “not horrible” series

This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.

The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data. 

You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.

#1: Man who tried to shoot 3 outside a North Side restaurant on New Year’s Day had a pending felony case, prosecutors say (January 6, 2022)

#2: Felon awaiting trial for 4 sexual assault cases escaped from electronic monitoring and tried to kill investigators who tracked him down, prosecutors say (January 15, 2022)

#3: With felony gun case pending, man shot passerby during “exchange of gunfire,” prosecutors say (January 23, 2022)

#4: Seven-time felon on electronic monitoring for his 4th gun case tried to shoot and kill his girlfriend’s father, prosecutors say (January 26, 2022)

#5: Teen on electronic monitoring for TWO gun cases carjacked a Lyft driver, then shot a 15-year-old at point-blank range, prosecutors say (February 10, 2022)

#6: Man killed nursing student months after going AWOL from felony DUI case, prosecutors say (February 20, 2022)

#7: Man shot and killed his own brother while on bail for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (February 22, 2022)

#8: Beloved Hyde Park bartender was killed by a robber who has 3 pending felony cases, prosecutors said (March 7, 2022)

#9: Man involved in New Year’s shoot-out that left one dead was on bail for his 3rd gun felony, prosecutors say (March 8, 2022)

#10: An 11-time convicted felon shot a 3-year-old and tried to kill the boy’s mother while on felony bail, prosecutors say (March 11, 2022)

#11: Man allegedly stabbed another to death 4 days after getting released on felony bail (March 29, 2022)

#12: He opened fire on his ex’s house, killing a man, prosecutors say. But he was supposed to be home 24/7 for a pending felony gun case. (March 29, 2022)

#13: Man shot a woman, fired toward 4 others, while on bond for being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors say (April 7, 2022)

#14: Man killed his parents in an Uptown senior center while on bond for federal armed robbery and gun charges, prosecutors say (April 14. 2022)

#15: Four-time felon opened fire on a carload of victims, injuring 2 while on bond for felony gun case, prosecutors say (April 20, 2022)

#16: Man shot his ex this month and her boyfriend last month, prosecutors say. He was on felony bail. (April 24, 2022)

#17: Man tried to kill 2 cable TV installers over a missing dog, prosecutors say. He was on bail at the time. (April 30, 2022)

#18: Man escaped from electronic monitoring and ran over a cop in a stolen car while fleeing a murder scene, prosecutors say (May 19, 2022)

#19: A two-time felon circled a West Side neighborhood for 15 minutes looking for someone to kill in a revenge murder, prosecutors say. He was on bond for a gun case at the time. (May 21, 2022)

#20: Alleged mass shooter had a felony gun case pending when he killed 2, wounded 7 near Magnificent Mile, records show (May 22, 2022)

#21: Five months after escaping from electronic monitoring, he helped shoot up a carload of people, injuring 2, prosecutors say (May 29, 2022)

#22: Man accused of setting ‘Walking Man’ on fire has been AWOL from 2 felony cases for 15 months, court records show (May 30, 2022)

#23: Two weeks after being charged with having a stolen rifle in a hijacked car, he allegedly shot a man with a rifle after getting out of a hijacked car (June 11, 2022)

#24: Gunman left a woman paralyzed in River North just 4 weeks after officials sent his felony gun case to a “peace circle,” prosecutors say (June 13, 2022)

#25: Teen acted as murderer’s driver while awaiting trial for carjacking, stolen car cases: prosecutors say (July 6, 2022)

#26: Man shot victim 5 times, days after being charged in a felony narcotics case, prosecutors say (July 7, 2022)

#27: Concealed carry holder shot man who opened fire on his car at McDonald’s, prosecutors say (July 14, 2022)

#28: Terrorism, attempted murder charges filed against man who allegedly detonated bomb on Pink Line in May (August 8, 2022)

#29: Three-time felon shot robbery victim while on bail for felony gun case, prosecutors say (August 23, 2022)

#30: Concealed carry holder shoots 7-time felon who tried to kill him, prosecutors say. That man was on bail for a felony gun case. (August 25, 2022)

#31: Anti-violence worker, who’s also a 9-time felon, shot himself in the butt at a Bucktown gas station while on felony bail, prosecutors say (August 25, 2022)

#32: Killer shot motorcyclist 16 times while awaiting trial for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (September 1, 2022)

#33: Man killed his half-sister’s boyfriend while on electronic monitoring for shooting someone else, prosecutors say (September 5, 2022)

#34: Two months after posting bail for a felony gun case, he participated in a botched robbery that left the victim dead, prosecutors say (September 8, 2022)

#35: One week after being released on felony gun charge, man shot and killed rival gang member in random attack, prosecutors say (September 8, 2022)

#36: Driver exchanged shots with gunman in another car while on felony bail, prosecutors say (September 10, 2022)

#37: Man shot woman dead because he didn’t want her at a block party—while he was supposed to be home on electronic monitoring for 3 felonies, prosecutors say (September 15, 2022)

#38: Gunman shot 12-year-old boy in the head while on $1,000 bail for one of Illinois’ most serious gun crimes (September 17, 2022)

#39: A 16-year-old boy with two active juvenile gun cases shot and killed a man during a robbery last month, prosecutors say (September 22, 2022)

#40: Teen with pending gun case shot acquaintance at South Side gas station, prosecutors say (September 22, 2022)

#41: Felon engaged in ‘gunfight at the OK Corral’ while on electronic monitoring, officials say (September 22, 2022)

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