ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The parking lot at Wellington Arms Apartments in north St. Louis County was mostly full on Monday afternoon, but there was a parking space that's usually occupied currently sitting empty after a carjacking overnight.
"It concerns everybody because this is a safe place up here, at least it's supposed to be. But this happened, you wonder," one long-term resident said.
Virginia — who didn't want to give her last name — has lived at the complex for almost two years, and she knows the 67-year-old man who was carjacked and assaulted around 12:15 a.m.
The property managers said they were still trying to find out more about the attack, but there are no immediate plans to change security procedures.
There are security cameras on the building, but cameras are mostly focused at the front door. The ones that face the parking lot didn't catch any of the incident.
"Usually up here, it's pretty quiet and safe," resident Robert Wilson said. "The only problem we have is sometimes the little coyotes and deers come from out there."
Wilson's lived at Wellington Arms for about nine years. He said the man attacked was friendly and would always stop to talk. He's not too concerned about safety.
But as Virginia gets in a friend's car to leave, she said she's going to be more aware.
"These people, they have to hurt people, steal their cars, crash them. It doesn't make any sense to me. It's crazy," she said.
Police chased the stolen car into Illinois where they took Markel Devante Hutton into custody. Hutton was charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree assault, resisting arrest and armed criminal action. His bond was set at $200,000.
There is no word on the victim's injuries.
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