CHICAGO — A judge on Friday morning sentenced a man to 24 years in prison for intentionally running over and killing a woman in front of her daughter in River North four years ago.
Edgar Roman, 29, pleaded guilty to murder with intent in connection with the crime, which occurred at State and Hubbard streets in August 2020. Judge Diana Kenworth ordered Roman to serve 100% of his sentence.
Prosecutors said Zoraleigh Ryan, 55, and her daughter, who was 20 at the time, were visiting Chicago when they took an Uber from their hotel to have dinner at Chicago Cut steakhouse, 300 North LaSalle.
They decided to walk back to the hotel and stop at a convenience store on the way, but the 7-Eleven at State and Hubbard was closed due to damage from looting the night before. At that point, the elder Ryan didn’t want to walk, and the women decided to get an Uber to take them back to their hotel.
As they crossed Hubbard on the east side of State Street, the younger Ryan saw Roman’s SUV coming toward them at a high rate of speed. Officials said he made a wide right turn onto Hubbard, swinging into the oncoming traffic lane with his tires screeching. The front of his SUV struck both women in the crosswalk.
The force of the collision threw the Ryanses to the northeast corner of the intersection. While the 20-year-old climbed to her feet, Zoraleigh remained tucked up against the curb.
A bystander began tending to Zoraleigh, who was alive and able to talk about the pain she felt. Meanwhile, Roman allegedly parked his SUV nearby, walked to within ten feet of where Zoraleigh was lying, and looked at her.
Ryan’s daughter, who suffered a broken wrist and abrasions, yelled for the good Samaritan to take a picture of Roman and the SUV’s license plate. While the man took photos, Roman reportedly backed his SUV toward him and sped away.
Less than a minute later, the SUV returned at a high rate of speed and accelerated down Hubbard Street with its engine revving, prosecutors said. Roman allegedly took direct aim at Zoraleigh Ryan, who was still lying next to the curb, her daughter, and the man who stopped to help.
According to officials, the man moved the younger woman out of the SUV’s path, and the passing vehicle “brushed” both of them.
But Roman ran directly over Zoraleigh and her body became trapped under the SUV, which traveled for a half-block before she fell free, prosecutors alleged. Zoraleigh’s daughter and the witness ran to her side and held her head, but she was no longer breathing.
As they waited for police, the man and the 20-year-old saw Roman return to the scene in his SUV a second time before driving away. Then, he returned a third time as police arrived, sparking a pursuit. After crashing through barricades near the Merchandise Mart, the SUV sped from the area, and police lost sight of it.
About an hour later, CPD license plate reading technology detected the SUV on the Northwest Side, and cops began scouring that area for Roman’s car. As police searched for the truck, Roman walked into the local police district to file a police report, claiming that he had been carjacked at gunpoint in River North.
While police spoke with him about his carjacking claim, officers located his SUV on a side street near the Kennedy Expressway and Montrose. Roman was detained for questioning.
During interviews with detectives, Roman initially stuck with his carjacking story, but he later admitted to driving and striking the victims, prosecutors said. Zoraleigh’s daughter and the man who helped her identified Roman in photo line-ups.
Roman will receive credit for his time in jail, so he will likely be eligible for parole in August 2044.
