States Attorney
Chicago Man Gets 19 Years in Carjacking
WHEATON - DuPage County State’s Attorney Joseph E. Birkett announced today that Judge Michael Burke sentenced James Walton, 32, (d.o.b. 6/11/1974) of 11339 S. Edbrooke, Chicago, to nineteen (19) years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for a September 7, 2006, carjacking incident in Naperville. Walton entered a blind plea of guilty to one count of Vehicular Hijacking and one count of Robbery in front of Judge Burke on February 2.
The sentence stems from allegations that on September 7, 2006, the defendant approached the victim in a strip mall parking lot and asked for assistance with car problems he was having. The victim agreed to help Walton and drove him, along with two other suspects, to an apartment parking lot where Walton’s car was supposedly broken down. Once in the parking lot, Walton repeatedly punched the victim, stole his wallet and demanded the keys to his car. Walton then left the apartment complex, with the two other suspects, in the victim’s car. An investigation by the Naperville Police Department led to the apprehension of Walton on December 10, 2006.
“On September 7, 2006, James Walton stole not only his victim’s car, he also stole his victim’s sense of safety and security,” remarked Birkett. “With today’s sentencing, Mr. Walton will now have a significant amount of time behind bars to contemplate the consequences of his actions.”
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