Two Chicago men were charged Wednesday with the violent carjacking of a family at their home in the Beverly neighborhood two weeks ago.
The charges related to the incident earlier this month were filed just one day after the family briefly lost their second car to thieves.
On Wednesday, Damarri Conner, 20, and Kenneth Merritt, 26, were both charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm and armed robbery with a firearm, Chicago police said.
About 8:45 p.m. Nov. 2, a woman and her 12-year-old daughter were returning home in the 9300 block of South Pleasant Avenue when Conner and Merritt, who were both armed with guns, allegedly attacked them and demanded their car keys, according to police and 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea’s office.
One of the suspects pushed the mother, 46, to the ground, and the men fled in the family’s black Audi A7, officials said.
Both suspects were arrested Tuesday, Conner in the 9700 block of South Merrion Avenue and Merritt in the 8000 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, police said.
They were both expected to appear in court Thursday.
“Thankfully, the victims were not injured in this brazen armed robbery, but this is a trauma they will continue to live with,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement.
“No one in our city should experience the fear that these victims felt, the Chicago Police Department will continue to hold accountable those who bring harm to the people of our city and we will always seek justice on their behalf,” the department said.
So far, no charges have been filed in connection with the theft of the family’s other car.
About 7:20 a.m. Tuesday, officers responded to the same 9300 block of South Pleasant Avenue, where a second car was stolen from the same home, police and O’Shea’s office said.
That car was found in the 9700 block of South Merrill Street shortly after the theft report, police said.
No arrests have been reported in connection with the second incident.
