Peoria Standard

Today in Peoria, Illinois, Patrick Meyer was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his involvement in a violent crime that occurred in December 2022. Meyer, aged 26, was convicted of Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking and Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a jury in October.

The incident took place on December 14, 2022, at approximately 9:30 p.m. The victim had stopped at a Shell station located at 1900 N. Knoxville with his daughter. While waiting inside his vehicle, Meyer approached with a firearm, forced the victim out of the car, shot him nine times, and fled with the vehicle. The attack happened in front of the victim's daughter. Despite being critically injured, the victim survived.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Alferink advocated for a significant sentence due to the severe impact on the victim and his family. "For three days, the family of the victim did not know if he would live or die," she stated. The daughter lost her job because she needed to care for her father during his recovery period. He underwent several surgeries and endured an extended hospital stay. Long-term consequences include persistent pain and a bullet still lodged in his hip.

Meyer received a sentence of 38 years for Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking and an additional two years for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon; these sentences will run consecutively.