Now, authorities have charged a 50-year-old man, identified as Oronde Hardy, in conjunction with a gruesome incident that occurred in the southern suburb of Chicago Heights. Hardy is accused of stabbing two teenage brothers, which resulted in one of the boys' deaths. The family will now have to go through the sad process
of making funeral arrangements for their lost son, facing the
heart-wrenching task of saying goodbye to a young life cut short.
He was indicted for first-degree murder, attempted murder, among other grave charges. After a detention hearing, he was remanded to custody. He remained at Cook County Jail pending his trial.
According to the boys' mother, the incident had happened on a Monday afternoon when the boys and their sister were playing at a playground near their home. This was where Hardy showed up and started staring at them in a way that both described as weird and unsettling. These two brothers felt uncomfortable and decided to approach Hardy for some space. This somehow escalated into a physical fight between the two families, during which, it is alleged that Hardy stabbed the two boys. Now, the family is divided between seeking justice and also mourning their loss.
Among the victims of the violent incident was a 13-year-old child, David Sanchez. The sad news is being confirmed by authorities in coordination with the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. As per reports, David sustained grave injuries and was taken to Comer Children's Hospital. Unfortunately, the treatment at the hospital was not enough to keep him alive, and he passed away on Tuesday. His older brother is 14 and was hurt in the incident as well. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he is currently recovering from his injuries, officials said.
During this weather, the Sanchez siblings had on Monday gone out to have some fun in the park at Harold Park in Chicago Heights. Their sister joined them for a day of play at the playground in the 1500 block of Hanover Street. Unfortunately, that sunny day went dark as police were called to the playground for an incident that generally gave cause for alarm. They found two small boys suffering from stab wounds.
As one of the family friends said to the reporter, it was a man who was confronted by the teenagers, and that itself is what triggered the whole thing. The brothers came upon him and asked him to stop being so aggressive, which escalated into an argument. In an unbelievable act, he started stabbing these two boys, after which he ran away. The two victims were quickly taken to area hospitals for urgent care by emergency workers following the attack.
Police apprehended Hardy, a person of interest in an ongoing investigation, on Wednesday, thanks to advanced license plate reader technology that tracked the movements of his vehicle. License plate readers have become increasingly useful technology for police on a myriad of crime-fighting levels. Meanwhile, David Sanchez's family is trying to come to terms with his death, having made funeral arrangements for him on March 7. A GoFundMe campaign was set up by the family to help pay for the service. It's an online fundraiser to collect money from friends, family, and the community to help offset some of the funeral expenses during this tough time.
