CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Two suspects in a Beverly carjacking earlier this month are being held without bond.
During a court appearance, the judge called 20-year-old Damarri Conner and 26-year-old Kenneth Merritt "a real and present danger to the community."
They are charged in connection to a November 2 carjacking that garnered widespread attention after a Ring camera video of the crime went viral on social media.
The footage showed two men pushing Michele Pettiford to the ground and pointing guns at her and her husband, and later stealing his car.
The two were charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm, and armed robbery.
They were also ordered to have no contact with Jeff Pettiford and his family, who were the victims of the carjacking.
Earlier this week, the family was carjacked again outside their home. There have yet to be charges filed in that case.
Local Alderman Matt O’Shea told WBBM that these recent carjackings have had an effect on his community.
“It’s not just alarm and fear, it’s anger,” said O’Shea. “It’s anger of: When is enough enough for our judicial partners to start to do their job, to prosecute these people, to get them off the street and to put them in jail?”
The alderman said incidents like these deserve the attention of federal prosecutors in addition to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
“We need to start to hold these people accountable. If you commit a crime with a gun, you need to be in jail. Period,” O’Shea said.
The alderman also said more people need to start calling 911 if they notice anything suspicious.
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