Nine years for attempted Coney Island carjacking with two kids in the car

June 13, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

The busy Surf Avenue street corner where Kahlil Ivey committed his attempted car jacking and injured four people, including a toddler, on June 18, 2021, at around 10:30 p.m. Eagle file photo by Robert Abruzzese.

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A Connecticut man responsible for a violent attempted carjacking that took place right on Surf Avenue across from the Thunderbolt roller coaster was sentenced on Monday to nine years in prison.

The defendant, identified as Kahlil Ivey, 26, of Waterbury, Connecticut, injured four people, including a toddler, in the course of his crime. Ivey pleaded guilty to first-degree assault on April 3.

“Keeping the people of Brooklyn safe is my top priority, and individuals like this defendant, who endangered so many people on a busy summer night in Coney Island, must face serious consequences,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said following the sentencing.

The incident occurred on June 18, 2021, at around 10:30 p.m., near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street, which is just steps away from Coney Island’s popular Thunderbolt roller coaster. A 43-year-old man was readying to secure his 2-year-old daughter and 18-month-old niece in the backseat of his Chrysler when Ivey leapt into the driver’s seat, attempting to steal the vehicle, according to court documents.

The victim promptly climbed into the backseat in a bid to thwart Ivey’s actions. Amid the ensuing struggle, Ivey put the car in reverse, vaulting the curb and gravely injuring a woman who suffered a brain injury. Two other women – the victim’s sister and fiancé – sustained multiple abrasions on their arms and legs. The two-year-old child incurred scratches on her head.

Ivey proceeded to attempt a second carjacking, this time targeting a Honda driven by a 19-year-old woman. Ivey tried to wrench her from the car by her arms and ankles. During this struggle, police were alerted and promptly apprehended the defendant.

Ivey was sentenced on Monday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Herbert Moses to nine years in prison.