A teenage sleepover in Rockford, Illinois, turned into tragedy when the house they were watching a movie in became the final stop in a murder suspect’s horrific stabbing attack.
Details surrounding the series of attacks in the northern Illinois community were released Thursday, a day after four people were killed and seven others injured at multiple crime scenes.
The crimes unfolded Wednesday afternoon, with four separate crime scenes reported.
Among those killed were a 15-year-old girl, a U.S. postal worker, a 23-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman.
Here’s how officials said the horrific events unfolded:
First incident: 2300 block of Holmes Street
According to the complaint, the string of stabbings began at a home in the 2300 block of Holmes Street.
There, Christian Soto, 22, told authorities he was smoking marijuana with a friend, later identified as Jacob Schupbach, of Rockford. Soto said he believed the marijuana was laced with “an unknown narcotic” because he became “paranoid after consuming the drug,” the complaint states.
He told authorities that’s when he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began stabbing Schupbach, 23, and Romona Schupbach, 63, in their home.
Witnesses reported seeing Soto chasing Jacob Schupbach down the street while he was in possession of an unknown object before being seen punching or stabbing Schupbach to the ground, the complaint states.
Soto was then seen entering a black Chevrolet Silverado parked in the driveway of Schupbach’s home and running over Jacob Schupbach. Witnesses said Jacob Schupbach got up at one point and ran back inside the house, followed by Soto. A short time later, Soto was seen leaving the house and driving away in the vehicle, the complaint states.
Jacob and Romona Schupbach were pronounced dead.
Second incident: 2200 block of Winnetka Lane
As Soto fled the Schupbach home after the stabbing, he recalled to police “taking out the mailman” in the 2200 block of Winnetka Lane.
At that scene, a homeowner told police he heard a noise outside his home and when he looked outside he saw a man beating a U.S. Postal worker, identified as Jay Larson, 49, in the grass near his yard.
The witness, who later identified Soto in a photo lineup, said Soto was hitting Larson and that as the witness opened the front door to help him, he heard Larson yelling at him to call the police.
At that point, the witness said Soto began to approach his home, so he locked his door and called 911. The witness then saw Soto retrieve a knife from his vehicle and stabbed Larson “many times in various parts of his body.”
The witness then reported that Soto got back into the van and ran over Larson before reversing and running over him a second time, the complaint states.
Soto was then seen hitting a parked car with his truck before fleeing on foot between two homes.
Third incident: 4800 block of Cleveland Avenue
Shortly after Larson’s attack, officers began receiving calls to numerous crime scenes, including one in the 4800 block of Cleveland Avenue.
There, three people inside a home said a man forced his way in with a “Katana” style knife as one of the homeowners opened the door to let his dog outside.
One person was stabbed on the left side of the face and two others tried to push the man away, resulting in them also being stabbed. One of these individuals then hit the man with a bottle of syrup before he left the house.
According to the complaint, Soto admitted to entering the home and attacking three people. He also remembers the family pit bull biting him on the leg during the attack.
Fourth incident: 4700 block of Cleveland Avenue
At the fourth and final crime scene, officers were flagged down about another attack in the 4700 block of Cleveland Avenue. There, authorities were contacted by one of three girls attacked in a home.
The girl directed police to a home where she said other people had been injured.
Officers entered the home and found Jenna Newcomb, 15, of Rockford, dead in a basement “from apparent trauma to the head.” According to Newcomb’s mother, Jenna died saving her sister and her friend, who were also injured in the attack.
According to the complaint, Newcomb and her friend, who were having a sleepover at home, were in the basement watching a movie. Another girl was upstairs preparing something to eat in the kitchen when she saw a man break into the house and grab a bat. The girl ran to warn the other two when the man came down, yelled at them about a gun and started swinging the bat. All three were hit and Newcomb lost consciousness and later died.
The man then said he was going to “get a gun” and left while one girl called 911 and the other ran off to get help.
Soto, who the complaint says was covered in blood at the time, was taken into custody and now faces more than 12 charges, including murder and home invasion.
“It’s pretty hard to know where to start in describing what’s going on,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said. “Our community has experienced unthinkable tragedies this week.”
Winnebago County Prosecutor J. Hanley said at a news conference that Soto would be in court Thursday afternoon to hear the charges and for a judge to determine whether he would remain in jail while awaiting his trial.
Three people remained hospitalized Thursday, officials said. The other four were treated and released, Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd said.
NBC Chicago
