Christian Ivan Soto, 22, charged with 4 counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder for a violent stabbing in Rockford, Illinois.
Soto was arrested after a 20-minute rampage Wednesday afternoon, and police took him into custody on allegations that he stabbed his new victims.
Hanley Soto first fatally stabbed his friend of formative years, 23-year-old Jacob Schupbach, and Schupbach’s mother, 63-year-old Ramona Schupbach. Hanley Soto used a knife from the Schupbachs’ kitchen.
After leaving the Schupbach home, Soto met mail carrier Jay Larson, who had been delivering mail as he had for 25 years in Rockford. Hanley said Soto began punching and stabbing him. According to witnesses, Soto then ran over Larson with his truck. truck twice, leaving him for dead.
Police said Soto eventually entered a space where there were 3 women in the basement watching a movie during spring break from school. Soto discovered a baseball bat and began beating the women. Jenna Newcomb died from her injuries and her mother told Mayor Tom McNamara that Jenna had died, saving her sister and friend from further harm. The two surviving teenagers suffered bruises, lacerations and damaged bones.
In a three-page factual document, prosecutors laid out the chronology of events Wednesday afternoon.
The attack began at the Schupbachs’ home in the 2300 block of Holmes Street around 1:15 p. m. Prosecutors said Soto smoked marijuana there, then stabbed Jacob and Ramona and ran over Jacob with his pickup truck.
Witnesses said they first saw Soto chasing Jacob across the lawn, punching and stabbing him. While Jacob was lying in the driveway, Soto was led to his truck and ran over Jacob, who then ran toward the house. Soto followed him inside, then was seen leaving minutes later, prosecutors said. Both victims were found inside the home.
Soto then encountered Larson in the 2200 block of Winnetka Avenue and ran him over with his pickup truck. Responding police said Larson had been stabbed multiple times. Soto told investigators he identified Larson as a factor. A witness said Larson begged him to call 911, which he did.
Soto then fled, entered another home in the 4700 block of Cleveland Avenue and began attacking three citizens with a knife, prosecutors said. All survived the attack and were treated in hospital for stab wounds to the face.
Soto then burst into the space next door where Newcomb, her sister and a friend were watching a movie.
After this attack, Soto smashed a window in a space in the 4600 block of Florence Street and began attacking a woman with a knife. The woman managed to escape and Soto chased her on foot to a front backyard in the 2100 block of Eggleston Road. where Soto continued his attack. A guy in a gray Jeep pulled over to help the woman and stabbed her as well.
That’s when police arrested Soto at 1:35 p. m. And Soto threw the knife at the woman’s feet.
Both were seriously injured and the woman was intubated at the hospital.
Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said Soto admitted to the killings in interviews with detectives. Soto told investigators he smoked marijuana that he said combined with a drug that led him to commit murders, Hanley said. However, his motives did not appear without delay.
According to Hanley, the suspect was arrested on a felony basis starting in 2020 for damage to assets in a local forest preserve. He also committed some traffic violations. Nothing in his past would have indicated such a point of violent behavior, the government said.