An Illinois man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly carrying out a series of stabbings and attacks that left four people dead and seven injured.
WLS reported that Christian Soto, 22, first carried out a home invasion which left a young woman hospitalized in critical condition with stab wounds to her face and hands. Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said Soto also stabbed a Good Samaritan who stopped to help the fleeing woman.
At some point, Rockford police got a call about someone being stabbed or run over by a car outside of a home. Officers who responded to the scene discovered the bodies of Jacob Schupbach, 23, and Ramona Schupbach, 63. Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said they were possibly stabbed, NBC News reported.
Witnesses claimed they saw Soto chase Jacob Schupbach across the street before stabbing him as he lay on the ground. Soto then allegedly ran over the victim at the end of a driveway.
NBC News reported that Jacob Schupbach managed to get up and flee, but Soto exited the vehicle and followed him into a home. Soto was seen leaving the home a short time later.
The reported incidents occurred in Rockford and Winnebago County, as CrimeOnline reported.
Soto allegedly confessed to getting into his car and killing a mailman who was later identified as Jay Larson, 49. According to WLS, a witness said they saw Soto attacking and punching Larson before getting a knife from his truck and stabbing him. Soto allegedly also ran over Larson with his car.
“He was in his underwear, covered in mud. And just, I don’t know if he got hit by it at all, but he was on the ground, trying to get away from the truck,” a resident told the news outlet.
Police also received a 911 call about an assailant, presumably Soto, attacking people in a home with a “katana-style knife.” Three people in that residence suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Soto later entered another home through a back door. He then took a bat and went to the basement where three girls were watching movies. He demanded the girls tell him where a gun was before attacking them with a bat as they ran to a bedroom, according to Hanley.
Soto eventually left the home. Officials confirmed that Jenna Newcomb, 15, died in that attack.
“Jenna’s mom wants the community to know that Jenna died saving her sister and her friend and protecting them from further harm,” Hanley said.
Soto allegedly told police he was friends with one of the victims, and they went to his home to smoke marijuana. Soto claimed the victim gave him marijuana laced with an unknown narcotic before the deadly rampage, WLS reported.
Jailed without bond, Soto is charged with murder, attempted murder, and home invasion. A motive remains under investigation.
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[Feature Photo: Christian Soto/Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office]
