Pre-Trial Release Denied For 2 Men Accused In Beverly Carjacking

CHICAGO — A Cook County judge denied release of two men accused in the brutal carjacking of a Beverly family that was caught on video earlier this month at a pretrial hearing Thursday at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building, according to Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th).

Damarri Conner, 20, and 26-year-old Kenneth Merritt appeared before Judge Charles Beach on charges of aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm, and two felony counts of robbery with a firearm.

Conner faces additional misdemeanor charges of resisting a peace officer.

On Nov. 2, in the 9300 block of South Pleasant Avenue, a 46-year-old woman and her 12-year-old daughter returned home about 8:45 p.m. and were exiting their car when Chicago police said they were approached by two men, later identified as Conner and Merritt.

Doorbell-camera video captured the pair shoving the woman to the ground and holding a gun on her as they grabbed her car keys to her 2012 Audi and belongings.

The pair are alleged to have returned late Tuesday afternoon using key fobs stolen from the first incident and took the family’s second vehicle, a Range Rover, Chicago police said.

Using Police Observation Device (POD) cameras and license plate readers, police were able to track down the duo and arrested them later that evening at separate addresses, police said.

Merritt is currently on parole from a 10-year sentence at the Illinois Department of Corrections stemming from three separate felonies in 2016, including possession of a stolen vehicle, armed robbery and burglary, according to IDOC records.

Conner is currently awaiting trial on an aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charge. He was arrested in May when police said he was in possession of a pistol he didn’t legally own, CWB Chicago said. Officers at the time were responding to a shots fired call.

The judge denied pretrial release and ordered both to Cook County Jail, based on their extensive criminal backgrounds.

“This was an important first step towards justice and accountability in this case,” O’Shea said in an email to residents, who attended Thursday’s pre-trial hearing. “The disturbing circumstances of this case have garnered national attention; even more disturbing is the extensive criminal backgrounds of both defendants. The revolving door for violent offenders must be closed if we hope to address our public safety crisis.”

The pair is due back Nov. 21 in Branch 38, 728 E. 111th St., Chicago.