Chicago — A 22-year-old Chicago man has pleaded guilty to carjacking a victim while test-driving their vehicle in Uptown two years ago. Judge Charles Burns sentenced Dumareah Tayler to ten years during a court hearing last Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Chicago police arrested Taylor after receiving a tip from an anti-carjacking Facebook group.
Coincidentally, the crime began with a Facebook post as well.
The victim listed his 2004 Lexus RX300 for sale on Facebook Marketplace and was quickly contacted by Taylor. They exchanged contact information and met for a test drive outside Weiss Hospital in Uptown the next day.
Things started to sour a few minutes later as Taylor drove along Wilson Avenue with the car’s owner in the passenger seat.
Taylor accused the victim of being a cop, which the victim denied, and then grabbed a gun out of his cross-body bag, prosecutors said. He pointed the gun at the victim’s head and ordered him out of the car.
The next day, the victim posted details about his experience and screenshots of the Facebook account that arranged for the test drive to a message board for carjacking victims. Another group member recognized Taylor and told the victim there was a Lexus that looked exactly like his sitting outside Taylor’s house in the Austin neighborhood, prosecutors said.
Police staked out the Lexus and arrested Taylor. Facebook records, phone records, Weiss Hospital surveillance video, and items recovered while searching Taylor’s home all served as evidence against him.
Taylor pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular hijacking with a weapon, which was originally charged as aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm. The adjustment allowed Taylor to avoid an additional 15-year sentencing enhancement that applies to carjacking with a firearm. His parole date has not been set.
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