Woman Runs Over Friend, Killing Her After Argument, Prosecutors Say

NORTH CHICAGO, IL — A Waukegan woman ran over a friend and killed her Saturday before driving away following an argument in the driveway of a North Chicago home, prosecutors said.

Gabriela Martinez, 25, faces charges of reckless homicide and failure to report a crash in connection with the death of 24-year-old Alyssa Charles, who was also a resident of Waukegan.

North Chicago police and fire personnel were dispatched to the 1500 block of Lincoln Street shortly after 2:15 a.m. for a report that a woman had just been hit by a car, according to the offices of the Lake County state's attorney and coroner.

They found Charles suffering serious injuries and rushed her to Vista East Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room less than 30 minutes later. An autopsy conducted Tuesday found she died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries consistent with being struck by a car, according to the coroner's office.

Prosecutors said Charles, Martinez and two other friends had driven from Waukegan to a friend's house in North Chicago on the morning of Charles' death. When they arrived, they began to argue.

Investigators determined Charles, who had been behind the wheel, got out of the car, and Martinez got into the driver's seat, according to the state's attorney's office.

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Realizing she had left her belongings inside the car, authorities said Charles began banging on the car's windows and telling Martinez to stop.

Instead, Martinez started slowing reversing the car into Charles before accelerating, knocking her the ground and running over her friend, prosecutors said.

Martinez then drove away and was gone before the arrival of police and fire crews. According to the state's attorney's office, she turned herself in to North Chicago police about eight hours later.

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A charge of reckless homicide — unintentionally killing someone while driving a car — is a class 3 felony punishable by up to 10 years in state prison.

The incident is being investigated by North Chicago Police Department, the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

North Chicago Police Chief Lazaro Perez declined to identify the person charged or provide any information about the investigation or arrest.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement that his office would contact Charles' family in an effort to connect them with victim support professionals.

Following a bond hearing Sunday, Martinez was ordered jailed ahead of trial unless she can post the $20,000 cash portion of her bond. She is due back in court Feb. 10.