Chicago — Prosecutors have charged a four-time convicted felon with attempted murder and attempted criminal sexual assault for allegedly trying to rape and kill a woman who rented a room in his Chicago home.
CWBChicago is identifying the accused man by his initials, JD, to protect the alleged victim. JD is the 53rd person accused of killing or shooting—or trying to kill or shoot—someone in Chicago while awaiting trial for a felony this year. The alleged crimes involved at least 91 victims, 24 of whom died.
The woman and her husband have been renting a room from JD and they had never hung out together before the alleged attack on December 23, prosecutors said.
The couple went out for a drink that evening and got into an argument. JD called the husband and joined the couple but didn’t stay because they were arguing. Instead, JD, 35, offered to take the woman home but stopped at a friend’s house first to drop off a Christmas present, prosecutors said.
They stayed at the home for about 40 minutes, and the woman remembered drinking “moonshine” before JD drove her to the home they shared. When they got home, JD allegedly told the woman he had been gratifying himself by secretly going through her dirty clothing.
Not knowing how to respond to JD’s revelation, the woman went to bed.
When she woke up on Christmas Eve, JD was lying beside her, naked from the waist down, prosecutors said. He allegedly choked her while telling her he was going to rape and kill her. JD punched and slapped the woman in her face, stomach, and back, then briefly left the room, prosecutors said.
The victim used the opportunity to call her husband and then hid her phone in her bra so he could hear what was happening.
Her husband allegedly heard JD yelling that he would rape and kill the woman. At one point, prosecutors said, JD claimed to have killed two other people and said he would enjoy the smell of the woman’s blood.
After asking JD for a glass of water, the woman quickly put on her underwear, ran from the house, hid, and called 911.
Prosecutors said doorbell video showed JD exiting the home after the woman fled. He ran back inside when Chicago police arrived, but cops chased after him. JD tried to choke an officer during a struggle recorded by the cop’s body camera. Additional officers arrived and took JD into custody.
He is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted criminal sexual assault, aggravated domestic battery, aggravated battery of a peace officer, and resisting police.
His criminal background includes felony convictions for burglary in 2005, attempted burglary in 2012, unlawful use of a credit card in 2013, and possessing a stolen motor vehicle in 2013. He had a felony narcotics case pending at the time of the alleged murder attempt, prosecutors said.
JD’s public defender said the allegations boil down to “he said, she said” with alcohol involved.
But Judge Charles Beach said the case was more than one person’s word against another’s because the woman’s husband allegedly heard JD making threats through the woman’s hidden phone. The judge also pointed to the doorbell video that allegedly showed the woman running from her home in her underwear and JD following.
Beach then granted the state’s request to hold JD without bail.
The “not horrible” series
This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.
The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data.Â
CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings.
Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets.
Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com
