Chicago man gets 20 years in Wheaton carjacking

A Chicago man accused of following a Wheaton couple on their way home and stealing their car at gunpoint was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison.

Phillip Smith, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking. DuPage County Judge John Kinsella handed down the sentence.

One of Smith's accomplices, Carlos Moore, 28, also of Chicago, was sentenced to 21 years last May after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated robbery with a firearm.

Both men must serve half their sentences before being eligible for parole.

A third suspect is still at large.

Authorities said the crime began around 10:10 p.m. on Feb. 22, 2017, when Moore, Smith and a third person followed the couple until they pulled into their garage. At that point, the three men pulled their vehicle into the driveway.

Moore and Smith got out of their vehicle wearing masks, pointed a gun at the wife and demanded her keys. The woman gave her purse to Moore and the men took the vehicle.

Police spotted the vehicle a short time later but lost sight of it during a high-speed chase. It later was found abandoned in a Chicago parking lot.

An investigation by Wheaton police led to Moore and Smith.

"This afternoon, Mr. Smith learned that he will be joining his partner behind bars for his role in the hijacking of an innocent couple's car," DuPage State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. "While we are very grateful that no one was injured that evening, I'm sure the entire incident was very traumatic for the victims.

"The sentences handed down to Mr. Smith and Mr. Moore will send the message to any would-be carjackers that this type of violent crime will not be tolerated in DuPage County."