Alleged Plainfield Hijacker Due in Court This Week

A Plainfield man is due in court this week on charges he attempted to hijack a woman’s vehicle at knifepoint.

Erin Johnson, 19, of the 16900 block of Plainsman Circle is charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, armed robbery without a firearm and aggravated battery after he allegedly tried to force a woman into her vehicle in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2012.

A pretrial hearing in the case is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Will County Courthouse.

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Johnson has been in jail since being apprehended shortly after the alleged incident in the 16300 block of Fairfield Drive. His bond was set at $500,000, meaning he would have to post $50,000 to be released.

Read – Police: Plainfield Man Tried to Kidnap Woman at Knifepoint

The teen, who pleaded guilty to unrelated burglary charges a month before the alleged attack, is accused of approaching a woman as she was getting into her car around 4:22 a.m. and attempting to push her into the passenger seat of the vehicle.

“It appeared to be his intent to take her and the vehicle,” Plainfield Police Sgt. Mike Fisher told Patch in November. The victim was warming up her car to go to work when Johnson, who allegedly had a knife, “got in her face and was pushing her into the passenger seat,” Fisher said.

According to police, the woman fought back, and a neighbor who heard the commotion intervened, prompting Johnson to run.

The woman suffered minor injuries in the struggle, police said.

“[The neighbor] knew something was going on and he got involved and probably averted her from getting injured further,” Fisher said.

K-9 units from the Plainfield and Joliet police departments began what police called an “extensive manhunt,” apprehending Johnson around 6 a.m. in the backyard of a home on Plainsman Circle.

According to Will County court records, Johnson’s sentencing in the burglary case has been postponed and will be up for a status review at the Jan. 25 hearing.

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