Detention hearings for a mother and her teen son accused of gunning down an innocent woman on her way home from work were delayed until next week in Lake County Court Thursday afternoon.
Torsheill Hibbler, 37, of Round Lake Beach; and Tyrone Hoy, 17, of Round Lake Beach, were charged on September 25 with three counts of first-degree murder for gunning down Yessenia Novoa-Poveda, 48, of Waukegan.
The two were due to be the subject of a detention hearing before Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim, but defense attorneys Greg Nikitas and Robert Ritacca requested continuances until next week.
Hoy is due to return to detention court Tuesday while Hibbler is due back Wednesday.
A third suspect, Johnathan D. White, 20, of Zion, was ordered detained by Nerheim on Oct. 22.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded to Elmwood Avenue and Melrose Avenue in Waukegan for a shooting at 1:10 a.m. on Sept. 17.
Officers arrived and found Novoa-Poveda shot inside a black Toyota Corolla, authorities said.
Novoa-Poveda was transported by ambulance to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan where she was later pronounced dead in the emergency room, Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said.
Shepherd said two other people were in the car with Novoa-Poveda at the time of the shooting and were uninjured.
The three had been carpooling home together from work, Shepherd said.
An autopsy was conducted on Novoa-Poveda and the coroner said the results showed that Novoa-Poveda died from a gunshot wound to the back.
Court records show White, Hibbler, and Hoy, were charged Sept. 25 with three counts of first-degree murder for their involvement in the murder.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd said video surveillance showed a passenger, later identified as White, exit a black Ford Crown Victoria with white doors and open fire on the Toyota Corolla while the vehicle was stopped at an intersection.
Two other occupants of the Ford, identified as Hibbler and Hoy, also opened fire on the Toyota, Shepherd said.
The Ford was registered to Hibbler. Police were familiar with her and Hoy from a separate investigation where Hoy, who is the woman’s son, was shot at a party in August.
Shepherd said investigators believe the suspects misidentified the car Novoa-Poveda was inside.
Hoy believed it was the same car that shot at him in August and Hoy, White and Hibbler were seeking retaliation for that shooting when they killed Novoa-Poveda, Shepherd said.
Shepherd called Novoa-Poveda an “innocent woman” who was killed in the middle of a residential street while on the way home from work.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Scott Chastain said investigators recovered the 2009 Ford Crown Victoria at Hibbler’s home in the 1000 block of Red Oak Circle in Round Lake Beach soon after the homicide.
Detectives set up surveillance and executed search warrants for the vehicle, residence, and garage. The Ford had bullet holes in it.
Detectives also located a semi-automatic handgun and a large amount of drugs — 714 grams of substances that field tested positive for cocaine.
After White’s arrest in Chicago, he admitted his involvement in the murder and identified himself in surveillance photos, Shepherd said.
An obituary for Novoa-Poveda said she enjoyed being home with her family and was always attentive to their care.
She migrated to Waukegan just months before her death with the dream of a better future for her son, her obituary said.
During White’s detention hearing last week, Shepherd argued White committed a pre-meditated murder riding around with his friends, his friend’s mother, and other armed individuals “apparently looking to kill someone” out of revenge.
“There is no greater threat to the community than the taking of an innocent human life. And here the defendant did so without remorse,” Shepherd said.
The prosecutor said that the saddest part of the case was that Novoa-Poveda was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Nerheim granted the petition to detain White pending trial following the detention hearing last week.
The Waukegan Police Department captured Hibbler and Hoy at an apartment in the 6000 block of Derby Drive in Gurnee on Monday.
Chastain said detectives following up on leads led them to the apartment where they believed the mother and son were hiding out.
Contact was made with an apartment resident who helped coordinate the surrender of Hibbler and Hoy.
Both were taken into custody without incident. Chastain said a search warrant was executed on the apartment, which led to the recovery of additional evidence in the case.
In addition to the murder charges, Hibbler was also charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver between 400-900 grams and unlawful possession of a controlled substance between 400-900 grams.