West Chicago man who carjacked someone a half-hour after release gets 11 years

A West Chicago man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for carjacking a motorist at knifepoint just a half-hour after being released on a no-money bond on another charge.

Moises Patino-Romero, 26, will have to serve at least half of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. He will receive credit for the 1¾ years he spent in the DuPage County jail since his arrest, according to court records.

Judge Daniel Guerin pronounced the sentence on Dec. 17. Patino-Romero pleaded guilty to the charge in August.

According to authorities, Patino-Romero was released from custody at 11:45 a.m. March 31, 2020, on a personal recognizance bond in a case in which he was accused of trespassing at a residence in West Chicago.

Patino-Romero got into the back seat of an unlocked vehicle at 12:08 p.m. outside a store in West Chicago. The victim was a 62-year-old man who was speaking on a cellphone and did not notice Patino-Romero had entered the car. Once the victim started driving away, Patino-Romero reached around the seat, held a knife to the man's face and told him to call the person back.

The victim jumped out and ran away. He was not hurt.

The trespassing charge was upgraded to residential burglary. Patino-Romero pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced to 180 days in jail.