The man who carjacked an Uber driver in Lakeview last year, then told cops who arrested him in Will County that he would “be out by Sunday” will, in fact, not be out for many, many years.
Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak found Henry guilty on all 13 counts brought against him, including three counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, two counts of armed robbery, and more. She handed him a 22-year sentence on Wednesday.
“Henry told detectives he would ‘be out by Sunday,” Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said in a press release after the sentencing. “He found out that here in Will County, we prosecute crime and take the public’s safety seriously. This violent offender will finally be off the streets and in prison where he belongs.”
Henry’s greatest miscalculation during his February 2022 crime spree may have been to drive the Uber driver’s car across the county line into Glasgow’s jurisdiction. CWB Chicago was the first to report last year that Glasgow’s office had taken the unusual step of prosecuting Henry for crimes that occurred in a different county.
At the time, a spokesperson for the Will County state’s attorney’s office declined to comment about Henry’s matter specifically but did say, “we aggressively charge cases in our jurisdiction and seek appropriate bond. Prosecutors in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office were not consulted before Henry was charged with the Lakeview and Lincoln Park crimes in Will County, according to Will County law enforcement source.
The source said last year that Will COunty officials wanted “to make sure it gets done right,” adding, “we like high bails and low crime out here.”
Around 11:20 p.m. on February 23, 2022, a Henry ordered a 69-year-old Uber driver to get out of his Volkswagen Jetta in the 1800 block of West Diversey in Lakeview. Illinois State Police troopers spotted the hijacked car in traffic near the Dan Ryan Expressway and 75th Street about an hour later. Henry led troopers on a miles-long pursuit that ended when he crashed into a ditch at I-55 and I-80 in Will County, according to ISP. He got out of the car and ran, but state police dogs ran faster.
ISP canines bit Henry several times before troopers took him into custody, authorities said.
In addition to carjacking the Uber driver, Henry was convicted of trying to carjack and successfully robbing another driver on the 2100 block of North Clybourn minutes earlier. Bertani-Tomczak also found him guilty of punching Hades, one of the police dogs that brought him into custody.
“Henry had sought to dismiss the action in Will County, arguing that it should be tried in Chicago where the carjacking occurred,” Glasgow’s press release said. “Judge Bertani-Tomczak denied the motion after the prosecution argued that Henry continued to exert unauthorized control over the stolen Volkswagen Jetta in Will County.”
“Henry is a dangerous, violent criminal with a laundry list of prior convictions and current outstanding charges, including a violent aggravated criminal sexual assault that took place while he was out on bond for other charges. In fact, he committed the crimes in this case while out on bond in Cook County in yet another case, involving the possession of a stolen vehicle,” Glasgow said.
Henry’s parole date has not been determined.