A Tragic Incident During Spring Break in Rockford, Illinois
Three teenage girls experienced a nightmarish turn of events during a spring break sleepover in Rockford, Illinois, as they became victims of an alleged spree killer, according to a county prosecutor.
Christian Soto is facing serious allegations of multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in connection to the incident. One of the victims, 15-year-old Jenna Newcomb, tragically lost her life while trying to protect her sister and friend, as confirmed by Rockford's mayor.
Details of the case were revealed during a news conference on Thursday, shedding light on the charges against Soto.
"It's spring break, girls watching a movie. I can't even comprehend that," expressed Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, clearly shaken by the events.
According to Winnebago County Prosecutor J. Hanley, Jenna and her friend, identified only by initials, were watching a movie in the basement during the afternoon when the incident unfolded.
Reportedly, Jenna's sister was in the kitchen preparing food around 1:30 p.m. when Soto entered the residence through an unlocked back door from the garage. Soto, covered in blood, seized one of Jenna's softball bats, as described by Hanley.
Upon spotting Soto, Jenna's sister rushed to the basement to warn the girls, but the tragic events had already been set in motion.
Soto pursued them, trapped them in the room, and started attacking the girls with the bat, Hanley recounted. Jenna fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
Unfortunately, she never regained consciousness.
As Hanley narrated the terrifying events, he struggled to maintain his composure.
At one point, Jenna's friend was curled up in a fetal position while Soto continued to strike her on her left side.
Suddenly, Hanley mentioned that Soto paused and mentioned he was going upstairs to retrieve a gun.
It was at that moment Jenna's friend dialed the police and then rushed outside to find law enforcement officers already in the vicinity responding to Soto's violent spree.
Soto confessed to detectives that he gained entry to the residence through the open garage and back door, located a bat in the kitchen, and proceeded to the basement to assault the girls, according to Hanley.
Jenna's sister and friend sustained cuts and bruises, with the sister also requiring treatment for a fracture.
The bloodied bat was found in an upstairs bedroom.
