Gunmen murdered young father in front of his children during North Side home invasion: prosecutors

Two males with violent felony histories have been charged with murdering a 32-year-old father throughout a house invasion in West Rogers Park earlier this yr. One of many accused males was on parole for armed robberies, and the opposite was on felony pretrial launch when the killing occurred.

Assistant State’s Lawyer Mike Pekara stated the lethal chain of occasions started on the night of March 21 when the sufferer, Donovan Johnson, obtained a cellphone name from a quantity “related to” 25-year-old Demontre Eason. Johnson went to purchase cocaine from Eason, then returned dwelling to the 6400 block of North Richmond. About 45 minutes later, Johnson acquired one other name from the identical quantity and advised his girlfriend that Eason and a second man have been coming over with marijuana, Pekara stated.

Fearing hassle, the girlfriend, who has a hid carry license, moved her handgun to a extra accessible spot within the bed room.

When Eason and 31-year-old Justin Neal-Man arrived, they sat with Johnson at his pc, drank tequila with pineapple juice chasers, and determined to move to a on line casino round 2:30 a.m. on March 22, based on Pekara. However as Johnson collected cash and belongings for the journey, the temper shortly modified.

Prosecutors stated Eason and Neal-Man briefly stepped outdoors earlier than storming again in with weapons drawn, demanding Johnson’s cash. Johnson handed over his on line casino money and one other $400, allegedly whereas Neal-Man saved him at gunpoint.

Eason allegedly moved Johnson’s girlfriend and their youngsters’s bed room, taking her cellphone earlier than she might end dialing 911. Johnson retreated to the master suite with two toddlers and managed to seek out his girlfriend’s hidden gun. Pekara stated he held the weapon at his aspect whereas his youngsters stood instantly behind him. Prosecutors stated that’s when Eason and Neal-Man opened fireplace, placing Johnson, who returned fireplace.

The gunmen fled, dropping the girlfriend’s cellphone within the course of. Police later recovered it and lifted Eason’s fingerprints from the case, Pekara stated.

CPD officers discovered Johnson unresponsive within the residence, shot within the chest and thigh with a firearm at his aspect. He died a short while later at a hospital.

Pekara stated Neal-Man’s prints have been discovered on a pineapple juice can on the residence and placement knowledge from each males’s telephones positioned them at Johnson’s tackle throughout the homicide.

Choose Ankur Srivastava ordered each males detained on Thursday.

Illinois Division of Corrections data present Neal-Man was paroled in December 2024 after serving lower than half of a 13-year sentence for 2 2019 robberies. The state has now moved to revoke his parole.

Eason was already on felony pretrial launch in a separate case out of Evanston, the place he’s accused of aggravated fleeing and aggravated battery of a peace officer in August 2023. He’s the eleventh individual accused of killing or making an attempt to kill somebody in Chicago this yr whereas on pretrial launch. These instances have concerned 24 victims, 4 of whom died.

The “not horrible” sequence

This report continues our protection of people accused of killing, capturing, or making an attempt to kill or shoot others on pretrial launch for a felony allegation. CWBChicago started our sequence of studies in November 2019 after Cook dinner County Chief Choose Timothy Evans publicly said, “We haven’t had any horrible incidents happen” below the court docket’s bond reform initiative.

The precise variety of murders and shootings dedicated by individuals awaiting trial for felony allegations is undoubtedly a lot larger than the numbers seen right here. Since 2017, CPD has introduced fees in lower than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, based on town’s knowledge. You possibly can see the entire “not horrible” tales right here.

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