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Victim recounts violent attempted carjacking in broad daylight inside Walmart parking lot in Wheeling, Illinois

By
Jermont Terry
Jermont Terry
Reporter
Jermont Terry joined the CBS 2 team in October 2019. He's born and raised on Chicago's South Side. He's happy to return home to report on his community after 18 years of uncovering stories across the country.
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Jermont Terry

/ CBS Chicago

A suburban man said thieves attacked him during an attempted carjacking in a busy Walmart parking lot.

The parking lot is typically busy at night, and it was just as busy on Wednesday afternoon when three guys jumped out of a black SUV and attempted to carjack a shopper in the parking lot. The only thing is that the man decided to fight back.

"I was getting out of the car, I heard 'give me your keys,' and I turned and got hit in the face," said Matt Taylor. 

Taylor recounted the frightening trip he experienced as he sat in the Walmart parking lot in Wheeling, Illinois, on Lake Cook Road.

"They wanted my car, I heard, 'give me your keys.' I said 'what' and got hit," he said.

Taylor had just pulled into the shopping center and said, while finishing up a cigarette, three guys in a black SUV approached, and two got out.

"To be honest, I'm a little upset I wasn't aware of my surroundings more," he said.

The incident happened in broad daylight with plenty of shoppers around. Taylor says one man hit him over his head

"I don't know what it was, it felt metal-like," he said, pointing to the side of his eye.

But it's Taylor's hand that's bandaged after he said he landed a nasty punch to one guy's face.

"Back to knuckles got cut I hit with the worst part of my hand," he said.

"I hope your jaw hurts. I hope it hurts really bad," said Christine Balnchard. 

Taylor's fiancée admitted she wasn't happy to hear he fought off the attempted carjacking. But hopes that the punch was a wake-up call to the crooks.

"They could've gotten killed. What if Matt had a gun? Are you going die over a 2017 Buick Enclave? This isn't a Corvette," she said.

Taylor said he knows it wasn't the wisest to fight back, but said his SUV is essential to his job and family.

"It could've been a lot worse. I just can't believe it's coming to this, broad daylight, people will hit people and try to take their car," Blanchard said.

The vehicle did not have a license plate, which will make it difficult to take down the owners. It is unclear if the car was stolen, but the investigation into the incident remains open as Wheeling police search through surveillance video.

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