3 High School teens arrested in Alexa Bartell Arvada road hurling death after seniors targeted six other vehicles on the night that the 20 year old girl was killed. Arrested were: Joseph Koenig, Nicholas ‘Mitch’ Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak.
Could it be any more senseless? Three high school seniors have been arrested in connection to the roadside death of 20 year old female Colorado driver, Alexa Bartell, who died after a large rock smashed through her windshield on the evening of April 19, while driving from work, killing her instantly.
The suspects, all 18 were identified as; Joseph Koenig, Nicholas ‘Mitch’ Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak. The three teens were taken into custody at their homes in Arvada overnight and are all facing charges of first-degree murder, with extreme indifference, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Police allege the three teens throwing large landscaping rocks toward at least seven cars on Colorado roads last week. The last of the seven incidents claimed the life of Bartell.
Bartell had been speaking to a friend on her cell in Arvada at 10.45pm when she suddenly stopped talking.
The concerned friend tracked the location of her phone and found her already dead, having been fatally injured by the hurled rock going through her windshield.
Playing God with other people’s lives
Authorities said additional charges are expected.
In a statement, authorities said Bartell’s vehicle was the last of a series of vehicles struck by large landscaping rocks in a spree that began shortly after 10pm.
She was driving on Indiana Street in her yellow Chevy Spark when a rock crashed through her windscreen. It is believed that the suspects were traveling in a vehicle when they threw a large rock through the victim’s windshield.
Investigators worked tirelessly to identify and arrest the suspects responsible for Bartell’s death.
It is not clear which suspect or suspects were driving during the spree, authorities added.
Read a released statement: ‘Ultimately, mobile device forensics and supporting information from the public helped lead to the identification and arrest of the suspects.
‘Investigators were glad to be able to notify Alexa’s family and the other victims of these arrests. This week’s recognition of Crime Victims’ Rights reminds us of the courage and resilience of crime victims, including the Bartell family. They are our motivation’.
Random act of violence with lethal consequences
In the hour before Bartell’s death, six other cars had rocks – a type commonly used in landscaping – thrown at them.
According to authorities, two of the drivers suffered minor injuries. Lyft and Uber driver Nathan Tipton was uninjured after being targeted.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference on Tuesday, Tipton said he was headed southbound on Highway 93, close to the Jefferson County and Boulder County lines, at around 10.15pm.
‘I saw two vehicles going northbound, but all I could see was the headlights, it was a dark road,’ he said. ‘And then a large shatter – it sounded like a shotgun blast. It scared the heck out of me.’
He said he pulled over right away and saw that both driver-side windows of his mini van had been shattered.
‘It’s horrible. Nobody should lose their child for a random act of whatever this is,’ he added.
A $17,000 reward had previously been offered for information in this case, according to the sheriff’s office.
