Colorado teenagers charged in deadly rock-throwing spree took photograph of sufferer’s automobile as ‘memento’

The three Colorado youngsters accused of chucking a rock via the window of a 20-year-old driver, killing her, returned to the crash scene and snapped a photograph of the sufferer’s car as a “memento,” based on arrest data.

Alexa Bartell was killed final Wednesday evening when Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak allegedly hurled a heavy landscaping rock via her windshield in Arvada throughout a twisted rock-throwing spree, authorities have mentioned.

Bartell crashed her automobile right into a area and died on scene.

After the kids fled, Kwak allegedly instructed the others, “We’ve got to return and see that,” based on an arrest affidavit offered to the Submit. They went again after which Kwak took a photograph of the automobile as a “memento.”

As the kids drove residence, Koenig and Karol-Chik talked about how the three had been now “blood brothers” and will by no means communicate of what occurred, Kwak instructed investigators.

The following day, Kwak and Koenig met to “get their tales straight,” based on the affidavit.

The trio — all 18 and highschool seniors — appeared in court docket for the primary time on Thursday. They’re charged with first-degree homicide with excessive indifference with further costs anticipated to be filed at a later date. 

A decide ordered they be held with out bond, according to KDVR.

Bartell was discovered useless by her buddy who had been speaking to her on the cellphone when the rock hit her, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned. The buddy tracked her location down utilizing an app after Bartell went silent.

Bartell was killed by the rock and never the crash, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned. Koenig was the one who allegedly threw the rock that killed Bartell, Karol-Chik instructed investigators.

When the rock smashed via her windshield, Kwak instructed authorities it gave the impression of a “rail gun” taking pictures concrete.

Surprising photographs present the shattered windshield and the again window blown out.

The three are suspected of finishing up a number of different comparable rock assaults on drivers the identical evening that Bartell was killed, police mentioned. 

The string of assaults began simply after 10 p.m. and at the very least seven autos had been focused, with one other two drivers struggling minor accidents. Bartell was hit round 10:45 p.m.

The big landscaping rocks had been taken from the sting of a Walmart car parking zone close to Denver and loaded within the backseat of a Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck, a witness instructed investigators. When police requested what number of rocks they grabbed, the witness mentioned “as a lot as they may carry.”

The witness instructed investigators he “knew one thing dangerous was going to occur,” so he insisted the others take him residence, which they did, the court docket paperwork confirmed.

After they dropped the witness off, Koenig was driving, Karol-Chik was within the entrance passenger’s seat, and Kwak was behind Mitch, based on the witness. 

Karol-Chik instructed investigators that he and Koenig had been concerned in throwing objects — together with a statue and different rocks — at autos since February on at the very least 10 separate days.