Teen denied bail in attempted murder of Chicago Chinatown chef
By Carl Samson
An 18-year-old man charged for allegedly beating a Chinese American man into a coma in Chicago’s Chinatown back in April has been denied bail.
Termaine Patterson, who was arrested last week and subsequently charged with eight felonies, including first-degree attempted murder, is believed to be one of four assailants involved in the violent carjacking that occurred near 25th Place and South Princeton on the morning of April 7.
Jin Yut Lew, 61, was robbed, brutally beaten with a blunt object and “left for dead” during the attack, his children said. He was found unconscious and spent the next month in a coma due to traumatic brain injury.
Surveillance footage taken on the morning of the incident reportedly captured Lew’s car being trailed by a stolen vehicle. Three individuals can be seen running toward Lew, and after a few minutes, they flee with Lew’s vehicle.
Chicago police managed to track the suspects partly due to Lew’s stolen credit cards. On Thursday, they arrested both Patterson and a juvenile who possessed Lew’s stolen vehicle but was not involved in the attack.
Aside from attempted murder, Patterson has been charged with one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking, one count of vehicular hijacking, one count of aggravated battery of a victim older than 60, two counts of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, one count of robbery and one count of using a stolen credit or debit card. He was denied bail on Saturday.
“I think when things like this happen, it’s very easy for people in the public to be discouraged about whether or not crimes are being solved. This is a case in point, the hard work of the Chicago Police Department,” said 11th Ward Alderperson Nicole Lee, whose home was just a block away from the crime scene, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Lew’s children, Richard and Alford, have organized a GoFundMe campaign to help with their father’s medical bills, physical therapy and home care. They described him as a respected chef who worked tirelessly to support their family.
“In the Chinese restaurant community, he is a well-respected head chef who, over 40 years, gave many new immigrants their first starts and trained them in his kitchen. Many of these colleagues went on to be restaurant leaders across Chicago,” Richard and Alford wrote.
In an update, Alford wrote that Lew has been making “improvements” and relearning how to walk and talk again. However, he still requires 24-hour supervision and care.
Police are still looking for the three other suspects. They have not been identified as of this writing.
Featured Image via Lew Family
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