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Waukegan man denies attacking person who gave him a ride

A Waukegan man who police say attacked a person who offered him a ride home and tried to steal the victim’s car, pleaded not guilty Thursday to a host of criminal charges.

Charles Murdock, 28, could get up to 50 years in prison if convicted of aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, attempted vehicular hijacking, robbery and aggravated battery.

Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew DeMartini said Murdock, of the 2700 block of Westwood Drive, knew a woman who worked at a Round Lake Beach store and asked her for a ride from the store to Waukegan on Nov. 19.

The woman said she could not help Murdock, DeMartini said, but a male co-worker of the woman overheard the conversation and offered to give Murdock the ride.

The 20-year-old Round Lake man was in the process of driving to Waukegan when Murdock asked him to pull over near the intersection of Route 83 and Peterson Road in Grayslake.

Murdock pulled the keys to the vehicle out of the ignition and pushed the Round Lake man out of the car, DeMartini said.

Murdock tried and failed to restart the car, DeMartini said, then got out and walked away.

The Round Lake man picked Murdock’s photograph from a series shown to him by Grayslake police, DeMartini said, and the woman at the Round Lake Beach store provided police with his address.

Police arrested Murdock the following day, and he has been held on $500,000 bail since.

Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Murdock to appear in court Jan. 17.

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