#54: A ‘Kia boy’ killed a Chicago man while having felony cases pending, prosecutors say

Chicago — A 16-year-old “Kia boy” murdered a man and tried to kill a second victim on the West Side in October while he had felony cases pending in juvenile court, prosecutors said Saturday. Officials provided no motive for the crime.

Deshaun Hightie is the 54th person accused of killing or shooting—or trying to kill or shoot—someone in Chicago last year while having a felony case pending. The alleged crimes involved at least 93 victims, 25 of whom died.

Around 7:49 a.m. on October 8, Hightie and an unidentified accomplice emerged from a stolen Hyundai Sonata and ran toward two men standing in the 300 block of South Springfield, according to authorities.

The gunmen opened fire, killing 22-year-old Edward Roberts but missing another 22-year-old man nearby, prosecutor Zachary Peasall said during Hightie’s bond hearing.

Roberts suffered 17 gunshot wounds throughout his body. Police recovered 25 shell casings at the scene.

However, surveillance footage allegedly shows Hightie’s phone falling out of his pocket during the shooting. According to Peasall, police recovered it from the crime scene and linked it to him.

In late November, Chicago police stopped a stolen Hyundai Tucson at a gas station in the 700 block of South Springfield. Video showed Hightie exiting the car’s driver’s seat and the second gunman from the shooting in the car’s back seat, Peasall alleged. Both were arrested.

According to Peasall, a 40-caliber handgun discovered in the back seat is the same weapon that discharged three casings at the murder scene, and Hightie was wearing the same jacket as the gunman. However, at the time, prosecutors did not charge Hightie or the suspected second gunman with the shooting.

Peasall said people who know Hightie identified him and the second gunman in surveillance images of the shooting.

On Friday, he was arrested at the juvenile justice center after appearing in court to plead guilty to a stolen motor vehicle charge. He faces first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges.

He was adjudicated delinquent for narcotics-related charges twice last year. According to Peasall, his juvenile record also includes a battery case in 2021 and a gun charge in 2020.

Hightie’s lawyer said that the police said Hightie was wearing the same clothes as the shooter, even though the clothes in question, like a black Adidas track jacket, are very common. She said that the prosecutors didn’t show any DNA or other proof that linked Hightie to the recovered handgun, nor did they show proof that he fired any bullets that hit Roberts.

Hightie, a regular churchgoer, is a sophomore who plays on the football and basketball teams at Little Village Lawndale High School, the lawyer said.

Judge Ankur Srivastava held Hightie without bail at the state’s request.

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. 

You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.

#1: Man who tried to shoot 3 outside a North Side restaurant on New Year’s Day had a pending felony case, prosecutors say (January 6, 2022)

#2: Felon awaiting trial for 4 sexual assault cases escaped from electronic monitoring and tried to kill investigators who tracked him down, prosecutors say (January 15, 2022)

#3: With felony gun case pending, man shot passerby during “exchange of gunfire,” prosecutors say (January 23, 2022)

#4: Seven-time felon on electronic monitoring for his 4th gun case tried to shoot and kill his girlfriend’s father, prosecutors say (January 26, 2022)

#5: Teen on electronic monitoring for TWO gun cases carjacked a Lyft driver, then shot a 15-year-old at point-blank range, prosecutors say (February 10, 2022)

#6: Man killed nursing student months after going AWOL from felony DUI case, prosecutors say (February 20, 2022)

#7: Man shot and killed his own brother while on bail for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (February 22, 2022)

#8: Beloved Hyde Park bartender was killed by a robber who has 3 pending felony cases, prosecutors said (March 7, 2022)

#9: Man involved in New Year’s shoot-out that left one dead was on bail for his 3rd gun felony, prosecutors say (March 8, 2022)

#10: An 11-time convicted felon shot a 3-year-old and tried to kill the boy’s mother while on felony bail, prosecutors say (March 11, 2022)

#11: Man allegedly stabbed another to death 4 days after getting released on felony bail (March 29, 2022)

#12: He opened fire on his ex’s house, killing a man, prosecutors say. But he was supposed to be home 24/7 for a pending felony gun case. (March 29, 2022)

#13: Man shot a woman, fired toward 4 others, while on bond for being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors say (April 7, 2022)

#14: Man killed his parents in an Uptown senior center while on bond for federal armed robbery and gun charges, prosecutors say (April 14. 2022)

#15: Four-time felon opened fire on a carload of victims, injuring 2 while on bond for felony gun case, prosecutors say (April 20, 2022)

#16: Man shot his ex this month and her boyfriend last month, prosecutors say. He was on felony bail. (April 24, 2022)

#17: Man tried to kill 2 cable TV installers over a missing dog, prosecutors say. He was on bail at the time. (April 30, 2022)

#18: Man escaped from electronic monitoring and ran over a cop in a stolen car while fleeing a murder scene, prosecutors say (May 19, 2022)

#19: A two-time felon circled a West Side neighborhood for 15 minutes looking for someone to kill in a revenge murder, prosecutors say. He was on bond for a gun case at the time. (May 21, 2022)

#20: Alleged mass shooter had a felony gun case pending when he killed 2, wounded 7 near Magnificent Mile, records show (May 22, 2022)

#21: Five months after escaping from electronic monitoring, he helped shoot up a carload of people, injuring 2, prosecutors say (May 29, 2022)

#22: Man accused of setting ‘Walking Man’ on fire has been AWOL from 2 felony cases for 15 months, court records show (May 30, 2022)

#23: Two weeks after being charged with having a stolen rifle in a hijacked car, he allegedly shot a man with a rifle after getting out of a hijacked car (June 11, 2022)

#24: Gunman left a woman paralyzed in River North just 4 weeks after officials sent his felony gun case to a “peace circle,” prosecutors say (June 13, 2022)

#25: Teen acted as murderer’s driver while awaiting trial for carjacking, stolen car cases: prosecutors say (July 6, 2022)

#26: Man shot victim 5 times, days after being charged in a felony narcotics case, prosecutors say (July 7, 2022)

#27: Concealed carry holder shot man who opened fire on his car at McDonald’s, prosecutors say (July 14, 2022)

#28: Terrorism, attempted murder charges filed against man who allegedly detonated bomb on Pink Line in May (August 8, 2022)

#29: Three-time felon shot robbery victim while on bail for felony gun case, prosecutors say (August 23, 2022)

#30: Concealed carry holder shoots 7-time felon who tried to kill him, prosecutors say. That man was on bail for a felony gun case. (August 25, 2022)

#31: Anti-violence worker, who’s also a 9-time felon, shot himself in the butt at a Bucktown gas station while on felony bail, prosecutors say (August 25, 2022)

#32: Killer shot motorcyclist 16 times while awaiting trial for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (September 1, 2022)

#33: Man killed his half-sister’s boyfriend while on electronic monitoring for shooting someone else, prosecutors say (September 5, 2022)

#34: Two months after posting bail for a felony gun case, he participated in a botched robbery that left the victim dead, prosecutors say (September 8, 2022)

#35: One week after being released on felony gun charge, man shot and killed rival gang member in random attack, prosecutors say (September 8, 2022)

#36: Driver exchanged shots with gunman in another car while on felony bail, prosecutors say (September 10, 2022)

#37: Man shot woman dead because he didn’t want her at a block party—while he was supposed to be home on electronic monitoring for 3 felonies, prosecutors say (September 15, 2022)

#38: Gunman shot 12-year-old boy in the head while on $1,000 bail for one of Illinois’ most serious gun crimes (September 17, 2022)

#39: A 16-year-old boy with two active juvenile gun cases shot and killed a man during a robbery last month, prosecutors say (September 22, 2022)

#40: Teen with pending gun case shot acquaintance at South Side gas station, prosecutors say (September 22, 2022)

#41: Felon engaged in ‘gunfight at the OK Corral’ while on electronic monitoring, officials say (September 22, 2022)

#42: Man nearly killed beloved chef during a violent carjacking and robbery in Chinatown—while on felony bail, prosecutors say (September 24, 2022)

#43: Driver of hijacked car that killed woman while fleeing police had a pending felony case, prosecutors say (October 1, 2022)

#44: Chicago man shot and killed 2 people at a party while on bond for attempted murder, prosecutors say (October 5, 2022)

#45: A man on bond and on parole for stolen car cases shot a concealed carry holder during a South Loop carjacking, prosecutors say (October 7, 2022)

#46: Man beat choked girlfriend, beat her with baseball bat while on felony bail, prosecutors say (October 15, 2022)

#47: North Side man attacked, sexually assaulted, threatened to kill woman while he was on felony bail, prosecutors say (November 11, 2022)

#48: Man killed his girlfriend while on electronic monitoring, then fled the scene to get to his court hearing on time, prosecutors say (November 14, 2022)

#49: Chicago man stabbed acquaintance 30 times while awaiting trial for two felony cases, prosecutors say (November 19, 2022)

#50: Twice-convicted gun offender shot a random driver while on felony bail, prosecutors say (November 24, 2022)

#51: Chicago drug dealer, free on felony bail, beat a customer to death in a vacant lot for paying him with fake money, prosecutors say (November 25, 2022)

#52: Chicago man shot his ex’s new boyfriend more than 20 times while on bail for a gun case, prosecutors say (December 5, 2022)

#53: Man tried to kill, rape his tenant while on felony bail, prosecutors say (December 26, 2022)

#54: A ‘Kia boy’ killed a Chicago man while having felony cases pending, prosecutors say (February 12, 2023)

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