In a shocking revelation, a Colorado investigator testified on Wednesday that three teenagers stand accused of a grave crime. These young individuals allegedly killed a 20-year-old woman by hurling a landscaping rock through her car windshield. The investigator revealed that this deadly act followed a two-month spree of throwing rocks at moving vehicles. Let's break down the story.
Back in April, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) apprehended three 18-year-olds: Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak, all from Arvada, Colorado. They faced charges related to the homicide of Alexa Bartell. Tragically, she lost her life when a large rock struck her head through her car's windshield on April 19. A recent ruling at a preliminary hearing now means the three teens will go to trial.
During the preliminary hearing, the lead investigator shared a disturbing detail. Karol-Chik, one of the accused, admitted that he and his friends had thrown rocks at cars approximately ten times between February and April. Even more alarming, before this incident, Koenig and Karol-Chik allegedly threw a "statue head" at another vehicle carrying a family earlier in April.
On the fateful night of April 19 and April 20, the three suspects engaged in a horrifying spree. They targeted six different vehicles, causing injuries to multiple drivers and tragically ending Bartell's life. They had picked up landscaping rocks from a Walmart parking lot, loaded them into Koenig's truck, and embarked on their destructive path.
Another individual witnessed the suspects loading rocks into their vehicle but had no knowledge of their sinister intentions. Koenig was behind the wheel when they left the parking lot. This witness later told the police that Koenig enjoyed causing chaos, frequently participating in destructive acts.
The three teenagers continued their spree, throwing rocks at multiple vehicles throughout the night. Bartell, who was talking on the phone with a friend while driving, became their last victim. The suspects, traveling at about 80 mph, struck her windshield, ending her life abruptly.
Realizing the severity of their actions, the suspects turned back to observe the damage. They sped past Bartell's vehicle, which had swerved into a field, at about 50 mph. One of the accused, Kwak, even took a photo of the victim's car as a "memento." In a chilling moment, Koenig allegedly declared the group "blood brothers" upon realizing Bartell's tragic fate.
One of the accused, Karol-Chik, confessed that Kwak had become excited each time they hit a vehicle with a rock. Kwak, on the other hand, described Karol-Chik using "Marine" terminology, akin to "contact left," just before throwing a rock at a vehicle on the left.
Bartell's friend, who was on the phone with her during the incident, used a phone-finder app to locate her vehicle in a field off Indiana Street in Jefferson County and promptly alerted the authorities. Cellphone data and interviews with the suspects helped investigators connect them to the crime scenes.
All three suspects face serious charges, including first-degree murder and multiple counts of assault. Kwak, however, maintained his innocence during interviews with the authorities, stating, "I did not throw that rock."
In this unsettling case, these teenagers' actions have resulted in a tragic loss of life, and they now face the legal consequences of their alleged crimes.
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