A third person has been arrested and charged in the recent murder-for-hire of a North Chicago woman, Lake County authorities said.
Rosalio Diaz Zarate, 29, of the 100 block of North Jackson Street, Waukegan, was taken into custody Sept. 25 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, according to a news release.
The Lake County coroner’s office identified the woman Thursday as Cecilia Cuahua-Zopiyactle, 33, recently of Waukegan and North Chicago. She was from Veracruz, Mexico.
Diaz Zarate, police say, drove a man to an address on 11th Street in North Chicago around 6 a.m. on Sept. 22, where he shot and killed Cuahua-Zopiyactle, who was sitting in a car parked in a driveway. Another person was with the victim, but was not hit by gunfire, police said.
Police say the alleged shooter, Misael Chavarin-Plazola, 26, of the 700 block of Linden Lane, Waukegan, had been hired to kill the woman by her former boyfriend. That man, Seferino Calihua-Rodriguez, 35, of the 1500 block of Hamilton Court, Waukegan, has been charged with first-degree murder and solicitation of murder for hire, along with attempted murder, the release said.
Motel search
The Lake County sheriff’s office Special Investigations Group arrested a Beach Park man on charges that he was selling crack cocaine.
Damonne L. Hunt, 33, was arrested Wednesday for selling drugs out of a motel in the 39000 block of North Sheridan Road, police said.
Officers executed a search warrant at the rented room and found 20 grams of crack, along with a firearm that had the serial number scratched off. Hunt was charged with two felony drug counts and two firearms charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, officials said.
“We have a message to those who think they can traffic guns or drugs in Lake County: Our Special Investigations Group and sheriff’s deputies will do everything they can to investigate you and hold you accountable for your actions,” Sheriff John Idleburg said.
School lockdown
Zion Benton Township High School spent part on Thursday on lockdown after police said a vague threat — later determined to be unfounded — was made against the school.
After Zion police investigated, the lockdown was lifted after several hours, though the school remained on “soft” lockdown as a precaution. Zion police said they were continuing to investigate what they termed an apparent hoax.
Center assault
A worker at the Kiley Developmental Center in Waukegan was charged with battery for allegedly hitting a resident with a large serving spoon, according to a report.
Jazmen E. Graham of Waukegan was charged with aggravated battery of a person with intellectual disabilities, authorities said.
A newsletter issued by McManus Consulting, which tracks Illinois developmental disability issues, said Graham struck the severely developmentally disabled resident when the resident tried to open a kitchen cabinet. According to Lake County court records, the incident took place in May. Graham was arrested earlier this month, records said.
Ride-share carjackings
A ride-share driver was the victim of an attempted carjacking recently in Beach Park, the latest in a series of carjackings and robberies of drivers.
The recent attempt took place around 2:05 a.m. on Sept. 23 in the 10100 block of West Talmadge Avenue, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.
The driver, a 40-year-old South Dakota man, was injured when three passengers ended their ride at the Talmadge address. The trio tried to steal the man’s car and struck him on the head, but fled when he started honking the horn and yelling for help, authorities said. The driver was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The sheriff’s office offers these tips for ride share drivers: Always verify your rider; Know the area you are providing rides; Do not help riders with luggage or other items; Park vehicle in a manner that allows you to drive away quickly; Pay attention to rider ratings; Do not pick up riders with “phantom profiles”; and utilize a dash camera that records riders.
