Bond denied for suspect charged in brutal beating of chef Jin Lew in Chinatown in April

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The suspect who was arrested and charged in the carjacking and brutal beating of a chef in Chinatown has been denied bond.

On Friday, the family confirmed a suspect was in custody more than five months after the attack. 

At a news conference Friday evening, Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said Termaine Patterson, 18, had been charged with multiple counts – including attempted murder, aggravated battery to a victim who is 60 or older, robbery, and aggravated vehicular hijacking.

A juvenile was also charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The juvenile was spotted in Lew's car at one point, but was not believed to have been involved in the attack, Deenihan said.

Chef Jin Lew was heading home after visiting his son in the South Loop on the night of Wednesday, April 6,  when he was attacked in Chinatown. A street cleaner found Lew on 25th Place near Princeton Avenue.

Lew was listed in the hospital as a John Doe until his family was notified. He was in a coma and almost unrecognizable.

Lew had last been seen on surveillance video leaving the lobby of his son's South Loop apartment building around 11 p.m. the night he was attacked. Cameras also caught him pulling away in his Lexus sport-utility vehicle.

When he didn't show up for a meeting the next day, Lew was reported missing to police last Friday. 

Family said Lew, 61, was later found by a street cleaner. He didn't have his car, his belongings were missing, and he was in need of medical help.

Deenihan said police later learned that four attackers trailed Lew in another carjacked vehicle, and then exited and ran toward Lew's vehicle. The attackers beat Lew and took his car and all of his belongings, Deenihan said.

This incident was not captured on surveillance camera, Deenihan said.

"This wasn't just a very easy case," said Deering (9th) District police Cmdr. Don Jerome. "There was a lot involved."  

Detectives worked "countless hours" trying to track both Lew's car and the other car, and eventually found the cars, Deenihan said. More than five months after the attack, detectives were able to track where Lew's car went over several days using video surveillance and through the use of Lew's credit card, Deenihan said.

"Based upon where it was used, detectives went to get some video, which eventually led us to getting some better facial shots of these offenders," Deenihan said.

Police arrested Patterson on Thursday. Three other attackers remain at large.

"We still have a long way to go," Deenihan said.

Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) thanked Chicago Police for their diligence.

"When this happened, it happened a block away from my house," Lee said. "so it home very closely for me – quite literally."

Lew worked as the head chef at Chi Tung Restaurant in Evergreen Park for decades. He appeared in a 2012 episode of the WGN-TV show, "Chicago's Best."

"I think when things like this happen, it's very easy for people in the public to be discouraged about whether or not crimes are being solved." Ald. Lee said.

Lew's son, Alford, told CBS 2's Marybel González his father is improving – but still requiring a lot of care. But to him, the arrest meant a weight off the family's shoulders - as he was losing hope that anyone would be held responsible for nearly killing his father.

Lew's family said Friday that he is walking, eating, and talking. They said Lew has had extensive surgeries and rehab at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Streeterville.

But Lew is still struggling.

"Mr. Lew is still not doing well," Deenihan said. "He needs 24-hour care, and it's undetermined if he's ever going to truly recover from this incident."

Patterson appeared in court Saturday where he was denied bond. 

He is due back in court on Sept. 30.

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• Chinatown