An 18-year-old man on parole for armed robbery, Raleigh Ford, was sentenced to four years in prison after attempting to carjack a priest outside Holy Name Cathedral. The incident, which led to a scuffle inside the priest’s SUV near the Archdiocese of Chicago, was addressed by Judge Michael Hood, who delivered the sentence on Monday.
The carjacking attempt occurred on May 21, 2025, when Ford, already on parole for a prior armed robbery, targeted a priest at the historic church located at 730 North Wabash Avenue. Prosecutors stated that the priest had driven to the cathedral to check the mail and have lunch with nuns, parking his 2015 Toyota RAV4 unlocked with the keys in the ignition.
Upon returning, the priest reportedly saw Ford inspecting the SUV before entering the driver’s seat. A brief struggle ensued when the priest entered from the passenger side. Prosecutors allege Ford punched the priest and attempted to eject him from the vehicle. However, the priest managed to remove the keys from the ignition, thwarting Ford’s escape, prompting him to flee on foot.
Cathedral surveillance cameras captured the entire episode, and prosecutors noted that three Chicago police officers, familiar with Ford from prior arrests, identified him from the footage.
Five days following the cathedral incident, Ford was apprehended again after allegedly being found inside a 2011 Porsche Cayenne on the 1000 block of North Clark Street. The vehicle’s owner confronted Ford after spotting him inside the SUV. Ford attempted to escape on foot but was captured by officers nearby.
Ford’s juvenile history includes three adjudications, one for armed robbery in 2024, for which he had been paroled just two days before the cathedral incident, and two for stolen motor vehicles.
Under Illinois law, Ford must serve at least 50% of his sentence. With credit for 483 days already served, he could be eligible for release in just over eight months.
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