Defendant Found Guilty of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking

October 17, 2024, Peoria, IL- Today, a Peoria County jury found Patrick W. Meyer, 26, guilty of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking for stealing a man's car at gunpoint and shooting him in front of his daughter. Meyer was also found guilty of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. During the three-day trial, testimony revealed that on December 14, 2022, around 9:30 p.m., the victim took his daughter to work, and they stopped for gas at the Shell station at 1900 N. Knoxville in Peoria. As the victim waited inside his vehicle, a masked stranger, later identified as Meyer, approached armed with a gun and forced him out of his car. Meyer then shot the victim six times, took his vehicle, and left him for dead. All in front of his daughter. The victim survived being shot but received multiple surgeries and still has a bullet lodged in his hip. It took the jury only 35 minutes to convict Meyer.

Detectives were able to develop Meyer as a suspect due to multiple different surveillance videos and witness statements. One of those witnesses led detectives to the gun used in the shooting that Meyer had stashed behind a shed in his friend's yard. Forensic testing confirmed the shell casings recovered from the shooting came from that gun. When police questioned Meyer, he admitted to owning the gun that was used in the shooting and ditching the vehicle after stealing it when it broke down. Still, he claimed he was under the influence of drugs and could not remember the hijacking and shooting.

The case is set for sentencing on November 25, and Meyer is eligible for up to life in prison.