When Chicago police introduced on Friday that an 18-year-old man had been charged with the homicide of Lyft driver Adriana Arocha-Duque at Christmastime 2023, it marked simply the newest chapter in a unprecedented story of how a lot hurt a small group of violent younger males can inflict.
To date, three males have been charged in reference to Arocha-Duque’s dying. A fourth could be dealing with costs too, a regulation enforcement supply mentioned, if he had not been shot and killed earlier this yr when he tried to rob a hid carry holder in Humboldt Park. And one of many males beforehand charged with Arocha-Duque’s homicide can be accused of killing one other rideshare driver simply three weeks earlier than her dying.
The accused
On Friday, prosecutors charged 18-year-old Derrius Younger with taking part in Arocha-Duque’s December 26, 2023, killing. Final month, prosecutors charged two others along with her homicide: 18-year-old Antwon Conyears and 30-year-old Kameron Freeman.
Freeman was charged in June 2024 with murdering one other rideshare driver, 29-year-old Uber driver Mohammed Al Hijoj, on December 3, 2023.
Throughout hearings for Freeman and Conyears final month, prosecutors recognized the fourth member of the theft crew as 18-year-old Daone Feazell.
On June 10 of this yr, investigators imagine, Feazell hijacked a automotive and robbed two folks earlier than he unwisely tried to rob a hid carry holder within the 1400 block of North Artesian. The CCL holder drew his weapon and shot Feazell useless.
The homicide of Adriana Arocha-Duque
Arocha-Duque, 34, was certainly one of no less than seven rideshare drivers focused in robberies and shootings on the Close to West Facet throughout December 2023. She and Al Hijoj have been the one two killed.
Prosecutors say the night time of Arocha-Duque’s dying started when Younger coordinated the crime with Feazall utilizing an iCloud account that belonged to somebody who had been robbed the day earlier than, prosecutors mentioned. Feazell allegedly despatched Yount a Google Avenue View picture of a cul-de-sac within the 4800 block of West Thomas and famous the dearth of cameras. He additionally mentioned the group might cover at his close by house after the crime.
Round 8:30 p.m., Arocha-Duque picked up the group in her Chevrolet Suburban within the 2100 block of North Leamington. Surveillance video captured the SUV pulling onto West Thomas, all of the sudden braking, then lurching ahead right into a parked automotive. Prosecutors mentioned one of many passengers had simply shot her at the back of the top.
The 4 offenders fled to Feazell’s house, prosecutors imagine. One was seen carrying a gun. Investigators later discovered a spent shell casing contained in the SUV and a vape cartridge that allegedly examined constructive for Freeman’s DNA.
Executing a search warrant at Conyears’ dwelling, police additionally recovered a shredder crammed with paperwork linked to different robberies, in keeping with prosecutors. They mentioned he had 14 juvenile adjudications, together with an tried homicide, two carjackings, and 11 armed robberies.
Conyears, Freeman, and Younger have all been detained on costs together with homicide, armed theft, and illegal restraint.
Freeman’s different homicide allegation
Barely a month after a decide eliminated an ankle monitor Freeman had been carrying whereas awaiting trial on a stolen SUV cost, prosecutors say he and others lured Uber driver Al Hijoj right into a lethal ambush. Al Hijoj, a 39-year-old father working towards a doctorate whereas working his personal limousine firm, was shot a number of instances in his Cadillac Escalade on December 3, 2023.
He had immigrated from Jordan 15 years earlier. Prosecutors mentioned certainly one of Freeman’s accomplices in that homicide, 18-year-old Zayin Kelly, by chance shot himself and dropped the homicide weapon as all of them fled the limo.
Days later, Freeman pleaded responsible in his stolen automotive case, receiving probation with an order to get a GED. Fairly than doing that, prosecutors say, he helped homicide Arocha-Duque.
Extra to come back?
Prosecutors recommended throughout courtroom hearings for the three accused males that no less than two different folks might have been concerned within the occasions culminating in Arocha-Duque’s dying. It’s unclear if extra costs will observe.
For now, three alleged crew members sit in detention, one is useless, and two rideshare drivers are additionally gone — stark proof of how a lot destruction a small group of repeat offenders is able to dispensing.
This story relies on courtroom continuing transcripts bought by CWBChicago’s courtroom transparency fund.
