A man who carjacked an acquaintance while Chicago police officers were literally shining a spotlight on him in Back of the Yards has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
We first told you about Datilion Kelly’s case back on February 1, just days after the brazen hijacking. Now, the 29-year-old has pleaded guilty, an unusually swift resolution for Cook County’s notoriously sluggish court system.
According to police, Kelly met a 21-year-old man online earlier this year and the two agreed to meet in the 5400 block of South Hoyne to “socialize and consume cannabis together” inside the younger man’s car.
As they sat parked, a Chicago Police Department tactical team noticed the idling vehicle and directed their spotlight toward it. The instant the light hit, Kelly allegedly pistol-whipped the other man, shoved him out of the driver’s seat, jumped behind the wheel, and sped off with his 2025 Nissan Kicks.
Police said the victim was briefly dragged by the vehicle as Kelly fled. Kelly allegedly eluded pursuing officers for several minutes before crashing into a parked car in the 5100 block of South Winchester. Police found him limping away near South Damen Avenue and arrested him after the victim identified him as the carjacker.
Kelly was carrying the victim’s prescription bottle, earbuds, and vape pen, police said. Officers also recovered a handgun between two parked cars nearby, and prosecutors said surveillance video captured Kelly making a “tossing motion” toward that area.
Court records show Kelly was already on probation for a 2024 felony gun possession conviction.
He recently pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular hijacking with a weapon and received a 15-year prison sentence from Judge Ursula Waloski. Under state law, Kelly must serve half of that term. After receiving credits earned while in jail, his parole date is set for February 13, 2032.
