Chicagoland “Mystery” of How 3 “Good Kids” Died in Car Crash

 

Illegal memorial to three dead felons.
 

How about: Four out-of-control, illegal alien, Hispanic gang-bangers (two of them girls), whose “immigrant” parents speak no English, got high on marijuana and beer, committed Grand Theft Auto, DUI, reckless driving (about 50 miles over the speed limit in a residential neighborhood), and were on their way to start a fight with a rival gang at 3:10 a.m., when their 16-year-old female criminal associate drove head-on into two trees, splitting the car in two, and killing herself and two criminal associates?

If they had been black, we’d be hearing about how they were “honor students.”

Thanks to reader-researcher RC.
 

Crash of stolen car that killed 3 teens still a mystery
Prospect Heights police trying to piece together what happened
By Kate Thayer, Tribune reporter
8:12 p.m. CDT, June 20, 2011

Prospect Heights police still were trying to figure out Monday how four teens obtained a stolen car before a gruesome weekend crash that killed three of them.

But authorities now believe a 16-year-old girl might have been behind the wheel when the car slammed into two trees and split in half just feet from the local police station.

Police Chief Jamie Dunne said Monday that investigators were still piecing together the events before the crash, which occurred just after 3 a.m. Saturday along Camp McDonald Road.

Jessica Ferrer, 15, of Arlington Heights; Elibeth Solis-Gil, 16 of Arlington Heights; and Freddy Najera, 16, of Mount Prospect, died when the car they were in struck a tree.

A fourth passenger — Daniel Ascenio, 17, of Mount Prospect — survived. He was hospitalized but has since been released, Dunne said.

Investigators believe Solis-Gil was driving and Ascenio was in the front passenger seat. Dunne said he did not know who, if anyone, was wearing seat belts.

Police said the 2002 Honda Accord was speeding when it jumped a curb and slammed into two trees. [N.S.: Honda Accords don’t speed of their own—heaven help me!—accord.] Two of the teens were thrown from the vehicle, and the car was split in two.

Later Saturday, the owner of the Honda awoke to find his car was missing from his Mount Prospect driveway. When he reported the car stolen, police told him of the crash.

Dunne said his investigators are working with Mount Prospect police to determine who was responsible for stealing the car.

Police also are speaking with Ascenio and doing accident reconstruction work, Dunne said.

"There's a lot of follow-up work to be done," he said.

As police were awaiting toxicology reports to determine if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, loved ones of those involved were also struggling to understand what happened.

Najera's mother, Adelina, had told him to stay home Friday night, but he went out "cruising" anyway, the woman said in Spanish as her niece translated.

Freddy Najera had planned to get his high school equivalency certificate and had interviewed Friday for a job at a bookstore, his mother said.

Jessica Ferrer's brother Danny, 19, said police told him of his sister's death, and he had to deliver the news to their mother.

His sister, who was a student at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, "was a good person," he said, crying. "She liked to make people laugh."

At the crash site, mourners created a memorial with flowers and candles at the foot of one of the trees, which had been stripped of much of its bark by the crash.

kthayer@tribune.com

Smokey Smith at 8:56 PM June 20, 2011
"Prospect Heights police still were trying to figure out Monday how four teens obtained a stolen car..."

They stole it. Why can't the fact just be the facts? Not every story has to be heart warming tale of a "fun, goofy, high school dropout about to turn his life around."


jhanzel1298 at 9:06 PM June 20, 2011
Well, apparently several lives were turned around. I will not lay blame on parents, schools, neighbors or society at large. If I remember correctly, "Stupid is as stupid does".


SS Bob at 8:57 PM June 20, 2011
This story leaves one with mixed emotions. While my heart goes out to the families of those kids (and which of us didn't make stupid decisions at that age), the parents need to control their children. If your son tells you he's going out "cruising" on a Friday night when he doesn't own a car, there should be red flags going up. Sorry but you reep what you sow. Control your children or don't be surprised when Seargent Smith knocks at your door at 2 am.

[N.S.: Three hour Trib censorship pause.]


redrocket33 at 12:02 AM June 21, 2011
I agree with illini33 [N.S.: whose comment was deleted by the Trib censor], not EVERY kid did these things - or even anything close. Some 'good kids' actually are GOOD kids who don't do stupid things on this scale. I, too, hate when people generalize and say things like "well, come on, we ALL did dumb things at that age" as if to trivialize the poor parenting and awful decision making of the teens involved. All that does is make it sound as if what these kids did 'was not so bad' when the truth is that it was very bad. And I was not an angelic teen either, but I did/do know plenty of kids who REALLY were good kids, really, not the 'good kids' we always seem to be reading about in the trib who get shot while robbing a 7-11 or who get arrested for attacking a lady in a parking lot.


Peeteey at 8:59 PM June 20, 2011
How long before the Trib removes the comment board? Can't have the politically incorrect truth getting out, can we?


jhanzel1298 at 9:01 PM June 20, 2011
Huh?


Baabs13 at 9:17 PM June 20, 2011
In response to "huh". The tribune will only allow a comment board until those daring enough to speak the truth happen to share their opinion. When there's too many comments that might just tell it like it is, the trib pulls the comment board. God forbid anyone call a spade a spade. Reality is frowned upon. Sensationalism sells.


cubs1969star at 9:22 PM June 20, 2011
Prospect Heights police still were trying to figure out Monday how four teens obtained a stolen car....
Are you kidding me?? Maybe they, gee, I don't know...STOLE IT?? Anyone else think that might be the case??


LiLSuzQ32 at 10:35 PM June 20, 2011
"At the crash site, mourners created a memorial with flowers and candles at the foot of one of the trees, which had been stripped of much of its bark by the crash."
Just so everyone is aware: this "memorial" is on the private property of the (understandably very) upset and shaken homeowner. These THUGS building the "memorial" are committing the further crime known as TRESPASSING.

I would like to suggest that the homeowner take three steps to prevent these gangbangers from further invading his personal real estate. Those three steps are:

Pitbulls

Rottweilers

and Dobermans


Peeteey at 10:57 PM June 20, 2011
I bet there are empty bottles of malt liquor at the ghetto-fabulous "memorial".


LiLSuzQ32 at 11:54 PM June 20, 2011
I'd LOVE to know who gave me a thumbs-down for having the gall to suggest that the homeowner deter trespassers from entering and further desecrating his property?

Come out, Cowardly Lion, and let us know who you are!


nancylew13 at 10:45 PM June 20, 2011
What's the big mystery here? Obviously they stole the car! It's very sad that they were killed but "good kids"???


SammyZ at 11:45 PM June 20, 2011
Because if they find someone different stole the car they can add more charges because the crime contributed to 3 deaths


redrocket33 at 11:42 PM June 20, 2011
Wow, apparently my definition of 'good kids' is a little different than the folks quoted in this story. Curfew violating, automobile theft, speeding, reckless driving - and this is just what we know of, as we are still awaiting toxicology reports.

I have two main thoughts that come to mind regarding this.

1) What in the heck were the parents of these kids doing allowing their kids to be out at 3 in the morning?!?! Great parenting skills - especially considering the fact that one of the relatives quoted stated that she requested that the teen "stay home" that night. Apparently, her request was denied by the teen who chose to go out "cruising" anyways. Leaving me to ask, who was in charge of whether the kid went out or not? Again, great parenting skills.

2) I am VERY grateful that no innocent victims were harmed by these 'good kids'. This accident would have been a TRUE tragedy had someone outside this car of 'good kids' been injured or killed while minding their own business. Thank goodness the only lives lost were the people driving around recklessly after curfew putting innocent people's lives at risk, and not someone who didn't deserve it.


jalan62 at 11:44 PM June 20, 2011
Let's see: They stole a car. They were speeding at 90 mph when the driver lost control of the car on a neighborhood street in which the speed limit is 35; they were drinking (according to the survivor as reported in the Daily Herald); and these were 15 to 17 year old kids out at 3 am. I fail to see how they were "good kids."

Also, bad parenting too! Teenagers at that age SHOULD NOT BE OUT past midnight!

Bad kids, bad parenting, bad PC reporting.


benefit15 at 12:29 AM June 21, 2011
I hope DCFS is investigating the parents of these dead kids bc they surely have at least 3 other children who they are not taking care of too.

I am SO VERY GLAD that no one innocent was harmed or killed during this criminal act. I feel bad for the homeowner. Maybe $$ can be raised to get him and his family into a hotel for a week or two? Nah, I'm sure they'll only raise money for the "victims." NOTE: You cannot be a perpetrator of a crime & a victim at the same time!

If you go to one of the girls' facebook page, she talks about how she doesnt go to school. real winners here, folks, real winners.


cityguy at 12:37 AM June 21, 2011
I want to see the tree's birth certificate!


Mashed Potatoes at 6:20 AM June 21, 2011
The only "mystery" is how much and what kind of drugs/alcohol they were wasted on and who she was texting while she was speeding in a stolen car that nobody was wearing seatbelts. in.


Rockhardmasterson at 7:31 AM June 21, 2011
Yeah, I'll chalk this one up to a darwin award. Btw, what kind of parents have a 16 year old that stays out untill 3am? Btw, how come people can comment on this story, but when a gang member gets shot the comments are locked down. For a news paper the trib isn't a fan of free speech.


benefit15 at 9:26 AM June 21, 2011
Totally agree. Whenever the comments are locked down, I figured out how to retreive them

http://discussions.chicagotribune.com/20/chinews/chibrknews-man-shot-dead-in-bridgeport-20110620/10


pancha13 at 10:11 AM June 21, 2011
I feel sorry for the parents that have to bury there children that must be the hardest thing to do but at the same time who allows minors to be out cruising at that time of the night, where's the dicipline or authority on these minors.

Obiviously these kids didnt care and did what they wanted so this is the outcome when ur kid run over ur authority and do as they want. Am a mother of 4 and let me tell u i wish my daughters would try to run the show and call the shots over me, they wouldnt even know what it is to drive. Am sorry for there deaths as a result of bad parenting and wild out kids.


escapedfromny at 1:24 PM June 21, 2011
What "Mystery"? Two kids boost a car, and pick up two of their friends. They go for a joy ride, and are probably laughing and messing around in the car while going down some street at 80 mph, and slam into a tree, killing 3 of them. None of the kids should have been out that late. They were incredibly stupid, and were endangering themselves and anyone else on the road. Sadly they died, fortunately they did not kill someone else.


readme2112 at 8:58 AM June 22, 2011
Jessica Ferrer ws actually Jessica Ferrera (see story from other sources) . Strange the trib would make a mistake like that ? All the comments about bad parenting - how can you be a good parent when you probably have 15 kids to look after ? Do the parents really even care ? They'll just make some more to replace them.....


kate24 at 12:04 AM June 24, 2011
It makes me very sad to read the cruel and insensitve comments that some people feel justified in making here. I went to school with Danny Ferrera, though I knew his sister only somewhat. The decisions those kids made that night were inarguably irresponsible and flawed. I am not proposing to defend their choices, nor am I intending to paint them as perfect, but I am still saddened, as a human being, by the loss of life, and the pain their parents and family members must be suffering.

These were children, probably the same age as some of your kids, and demonizing them or their parents or making hateful, racist comments only serves to heap more pain on a devestating situation. I only hope no member of their families has to read some of the truly heartless things posted here. Children and teenagers have terribly flawed judgment sometimes, but that doesn't make the loss of life any less tragic, or the pain of the families any less real. No family is perfect, and some are put in situations they never imagined. Have any of you considered that at three in the morning those parents were probably fast asleep, and thought their children were as well? While it is easy to assign blame, speculate, and pass judgment, I would ask you as a fellow parent, community member, or even just human being to consider the agony of losing a child. The families have my sincerest condolences.


Centurion AD at 5:10 AM June 24, 2011
STILL A MYSTERY? Are these cops braindead. Here, let me help you..
TEEN DRIVER...DRUNK..HIGH ON WEED. TEEN DRIVER SPEEDING...TEEN DRIVER DOESNT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS...TEEN DRIVER LOSES CONTROL...TEEN DRIVER CRASHES INTO TREE AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. TEEN DRIVER BREAKS NECK....MYSTERY SOLVED.
Oh, teen passengers.....DEAD DUE TO MASSIVE IMPACT OF HITTING TREE AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. DEATH IS CAUSED BY BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THEIR UPPER CAVITY. MYSTERY SOLVED.
3 dead idiots. World just got a little better.


Surviving teen charged in fatal Prospect Heights crash
By Caroline Kyungae Smith Tribune reporter
9:17 a.m. CDT, June 24, 2011

The sole survivor of a weekend fatal crash in Prospect Heights has been charged because the car was stolen, police say.

The 17-year-old boy [N.S.: Daniel Ascenio, 17, of Mount Prospect] was charged as a juvenile [Why? At 16, one can be charged as an adult.] with criminal trespass to a motor vehicle [But he committed Grand Theft Auto! Oh, I get it. He’s the child of “immigrants”, and besides, GTA is an index crime which would have affected crime ratings, while “criminal trespass to a motor vehicle” is statistically meaningless] and released to the custody of his father, Prospect Heights police said in a statement.

The boy and three other teens had been drinking beer and smoking marijuana last Friday night when they decided to go "car hopping" [that’s at least three crimes] -- looking for unlocked cars to steal items, police said. One of the other teens returned with a 2002 silver Honda Accord, saying she had found the keys in it, police said.

The four teens were initially going to drive to another town to "mess with another gang" [heading to a gang fight] but did not have enough gas, police said. So they drove through the town, speeding and running red lights [three more crimes?] until they crashed at 3:10 a.m. Saturday near East Camp McDonald and Elmhurst roads, police said.

Killed were Jessica Ferrer, 15, of Arlington Heights, Elibeth Solis-Gil, 16, of Arlington Heights and Freddy Najera, 16, of Mount Prospect.

"This was a crash that could have been avoided if one of 20 horrible decisions [crimes] hadn't been made," Prospect Heights Police Chief Jamie Dunne said. "Our prayers are with the families that lost a loved one."

The survivor [Danny Ascenio] has told the Daily Herald that the driver refused to slow down when he asked her. The teen said he buckled his seat belt in the seconds before the crash when the car began shaking.

cxsmith@tribune.com


Baabs13 at 12:05 AM June 24, 2011
Why is he being arrested when in the original story, it was said he was "picked up at home" by the 2 girls?? Tragedy yes, but lets not have a lynch mob.


wiserthanyou at 12:12 AM June 24, 2011
Hmmm....get into a stolen vehicle, you become an accomplice. I doubt lynch mob applies in this case, but he will, more than likely, be tried for the idiorts that died in the crash. I'm sorry man, but I did a lot of dumb stuff as a kid, and I always knew when it was dumb and to which "extent" of dumb it was. I also knew when to back out and when to join, just like this kid did. Stolen is stolen.


DM5419 at 10:21 AM June 24, 2011
I think you need to re-read the story. It said they were out looking through cars to steal things and one happen to come across the keys. So they weren't picked up at home. The original story all sounded a littley fishy to begin with. And the truth finally comes out. Too bad they can't get him for more crimes. I can guarantee this won't be the last time he commits a crime. Better make room in the jail cell now. He's a gang-banger like the rest of them. Not a loss to society if you ask me. And, NO, I have no sympathy.


AlwaysRight at 11:49 AM June 24, 2011
I think if you re-read the original story...that's what HE SAID...doesn't make it the truth.


wiserthanyou at 12:10 AM June 24, 2011
I just need to catch my breath....what was that abought gangs, and messing with and.....oh nevermind, the majority of people in the articles prior were very upset about these "kids" being linked to a gang.....


To2-2oT at 1:04 AM June 24, 2011
Darwin theory at work.


melken at 2:32 AM June 24, 2011
High school dropouts, gangs, stolen autos, 3AM, high, drunk, how can they be less sympathetic characters? It wouldn't be surprising if they considered desecrating a church, a mosque AND a temple before they went on their rampage, the way the facts are coming out.


AlwaysRight at 11:51 AM June 24, 2011
there are always going to be those parents that are in denial and think their kids are still "good kids", even when all those facts come out...otherwise, they'd have to look in the mirror and admit that they raise a worthless piece of...and it's a direct reflection of the parents.


laura1963 at 4:30 AM June 24, 2011
I saw a woman on the first newscast who said they are "good" kids.. what good kids steal cars?? why were they out at 3 am, where were the parents of these good kids? I would think they wouldn't allow them out at that time of night.. It's too bad that they died, but luckily they didn't kill any other innocent drivers or people in the house that they almost hit.


Miss Cleo at 8:30 AM June 24, 2011
laura1963 and cubs1969star:

You have it exactly right. I'm surprised no one claimed that they were honor students at their schools!


cubs1969star at 7:06 AM June 24, 2011
Good kids? Yeah, right! These are the type of people who break into your car and steal.

The parents should get ZERO sympathy from the public. This whole event is a tragic reminder of the cost of bad parenting. I'm just glad the criminals didn't kill some innocent motorist or pedestrian - it could have turned into a tragic event.


Winnetka at 7:21 AM June 24, 2011
Minors out at 3am
Car hopping to steal "items"
Stealing a car
Smoking pot and drinking
Going out to "mess w/ another gang"
Running Red lights
Not wearing seatbelts......

These kids were a known quantity to their parents and/or caregivers. Not a single one of them cared enough to make sure they stayed in line. Some didn't even pick up the phone to report their minor child missing at 3am!

What about their immigration status and that of their "parents"?
Our society is paying a high price for the fact that kids who end up like this are learning by example. They have no respect for society and its laws b/c the "adults" around them do not.

I know many "good kids" who have never and would never do half the things listed above that the article reported about these supposedly "good kids". I'd like to know what the adults who think these kids were "good" would consider a "bad" kid?

Ultimately their actions and behaviour would have found them as residents of Cook County Corrections. They are better off w/ God.


big_dewey at 8:46 AM June 24, 2011
"The teens were initially going to drive to another town to "mess with another gang," but noted they did not have enough gas"

(gang signs flashed with a wicked pose) We'd be coming to kick your a$$es... but we don't have enough gas to get there....


Wing Attack Plan R at 8:10 AM June 24, 2011
If our legal system had guts, they would charge him with manslaughter. He did commit a felony (several, actually) and three people died during the course of that crime spree.

These dead idiots must have had a checklist of wrong things to do...because they did so many in just three hours. Amazing they didn't die sooner. Really.

What about the stolen car's owner? Will the families of the departed at least pay the owner's insurance deductable?


Nephew of God at 9:43 AM June 24, 2011
You're an idiot.


Medic_Nate at 9:50 AM June 24, 2011
The insurance company will pursue the responsible party(s). If or when they may collect is another matter altogether. Due to the fact the survivor is being charged with the theft, he will be considered responsible (Driving or not) and the insurance company will subrogate and attempt to collect for the ENTIRE loss during the court proceedings.


melken at 11:31 AM June 24, 2011
Somehow I doubt anyone's going to have decent insurance on a 10 year old Honda. The owner will probably have to go after the estates directly.


AlwaysRight at 11:54 AM June 24, 2011
@wing attack - the element you are missing in manslaughter is causation. Look it up and report back.


big_dewey at 8:39 AM June 24, 2011
"the teen and three others got together, drank beer and smoked marijuana, police said. Afterward they went "car hopping," which refers to looking for unlocked cars to steal items. One of the teens returned with a 2002 silver Honda Accord that she said she found with the keys"... "The teens were initially going to drive to another town to "mess with another gang," but noted they did not have enough gas, police said. Instead they drove through the town, speeding and running red lights until they crashed at 3:10 a.m."

trash. the NW 'burbs used to be a decent place to raise a family. Much of it was blue-collar, but decent hard working types with an understanding of how decent people live in a society. Today thanks to sect 8 and a number of other social experiments the types of "families" that breed this kind of behavior are out in the burbs with their unsupervised children's gang behaviors and all the comes with it.

Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Arltn Hts, Wheeling... Sect 8s and the gang problems that follow along are in all these villages now, but there is little spoken about it. They don't want their little secret revealed for fear they might lose property value.

these kids were trash, plain and simple. If you are going to raise your children to behave like this then don't be surprised when they die like this.


Nephew of God at 9:42 AM June 24, 2011
Yes, the gang problems in the NW burbs are relatively new but drinking and smoking pot while driving fast late at night is nothing new for kids this age.


joem1924 at 9:04 AM June 24, 2011
Now the real facts are coming out. Initially, the quotes from the parents portrayed them as "good" kids. It now appears that they were living irresponsible, reckless lives without much parental control.


Nephew of God at 9:39 AM June 24, 2011
"So they drove through the town, speeding and running red lights until they crashed at 3:10 a.m. "

I'm glad most people were asleep while this happened. Good riddance.


finerbiner at 10:23 AM June 24, 2011
Nephew of God? Please change it to Heartless D**k.


finerbiner at 10:24 AM June 24, 2011
Nephew of God? Please change it to Heartless D**k.


msgrowan at 9:43 AM June 24, 2011
The only good thing to point to in this tragedy is something that didn't happen, i.e., that in their high speed, traffic light running, wild driving these troubled young people didn't encounter another vehicle and snuff out an innocent life or lives along with theirs.


SouthloopDave at 9:46 AM June 24, 2011
I think alot of these posters either forgot about the trouble they got into as teenagers or are the type that keeps the kids balls in the neighborhood if it rolls into their lawn.


bigfoot60 at 10:31 AM June 24, 2011
Hey Southloop,

I know alot of teens that do not get into trouble, and alot of parents that either leave the ball were it landed or gives the ball back. You are lame.


sanenazokyahoo at 3:12 PM June 24, 2011
@Dave: haaaahhhh, if me or my siblings ever even thought about doing something as stupid like this, we would be punished so severly I can't even imagine exactly what that was. Beleive it or not some parents have boundaries, and being out at 3 am drinking and smoking pot doesn't happen by itslef, it takes many years of bad parenting.


Ya Mon at 9:47 AM June 24, 2011
All of them were under the legal curfew age limit.THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PARENTAL GUIDANCE! After their funerals, their parents should be arrested and sent to jail for child neglect. Dumb a$$e$.


Badmongo at 9:52 AM June 24, 2011
I just hope the parents look deeply inside themselves and realize that their kids are dead because they did a lousy job in raising them.


AlwaysRight at 11:47 AM June 24, 2011
Nah...they are dead because they zigged when they should've zagged.


Francine Alcala at 9:53 AM June 24, 2011
So since he is the SOLE survivor lets charge him with the stolen vechicle even if he didnt steal it...



husweer at 10:07 AM June 24, 2011
Yes. Because he knew the car was stolen. That is possession which is a felony. He was smart enough to buckle his belt, but not smart enough to say to his friends, this car is stolen, take it back. In addition, he had intent to steal. GET A CLUE.


bigfoot60 at 10:24 AM June 24, 2011
No Francine, he is not being charged for the stolen vehicle. He is being charged with Trespass to a Vehicle. A whole different charge, and it is not a felony. He is very lucky that he isn't being charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. He is not being charged because he is the only survivor either. Get a clue. He should also be charged with Underage Drinking too. Stop trying to defend a gangbanger!


musicmom at 10:00 AM June 24, 2011
Southloop Dave, the majority of teenagers (past and present) do NOT get into trouble by joining a gang, hanging out after curfew, stealing a car, DUI, looking for another gang to pick a fight, driving recklessly and killing their cohorts. If a kid's ball rolls onto my lawn I leave it there. Get a clue!


apatecham at 10:01 AM June 24, 2011
In other news, the rival gang that these so called "good kids" were going to mess with, just recruited the tree as a new member for it's work in taking out their adversaries.


redrocket33 at 10:32 AM June 24, 2011
I just wish that the parents of these 'good kids' were IN THE CAR with them when it went off the road. Our society would be better off with that addition by subtraction!


redrocket33 at 10:36 AM June 24, 2011
I just wish that the parents of these 'good kids' were IN THE CAR with them when it went off the road. Our society would be better off with that addition by subtraction!


caching60098 at 10:43 AM June 24, 2011
Yes, lets' blame ALL of the people that are on Section 8 Housing, but how about this....

There was a restaurant on Grand Ave were gangsters, young gangsters that ate there and had there meetings in the parking lot. They robbed people, homes and businesses. They stole cars too and sped around at high speeds drunk and/or drugs. None of these teens were on Section 8 Housing because their scores kept them preety much into vittles. One of them parents owned the restaurant. His father died and he quite school getting into crime. He loved killing people! This guy had a boss by the name of Joey Aiuppa....

The gangsters name was tony spilotro, a made man in future years. He became a mob enforcer. He was Italian....

Oh, I forgot...he's white, so I guess it's okay....

Watch the movie: "Casino" and "Gangs of New York." You'll get the picture....
Back in the 20's, 30's, 40's and so on, Chicago had (Has?) Jewish, Polish, German, Irish, Italian gangs. In fact, the Chicago River use to be the dividing line off North Ave. for the Jewish gang and on the west side, the Polish gang....


mongo789 at 11:25 AM June 24, 2011
Yes, but we're in 2011 so I don't really see what Prohibition has to do with this.


StrawberryMilkshake at 12:28 PM June 24, 2011
it's interesting b/c the majority of comments are along the lines of 'this is the result of bad parenting'...just yesterday there was an article about white suburban young heroin addicts...the parents of one of them have raised money to study why did this happen to their son? well, in that case is it a result of bad parenting too, or is it just a mystery and tragedy? and why does it seem that the labels 'bad parenting' and 'tragedy' are applied differently depedning on the 'parent' involved in the 'tragedy'


MAVERICK4 at 1:01 PM June 24, 2011
caching60098

Mafioso, seldom endangered innocent bystanders.Your long tirade makes no sense. Also, stop watching all those mafia movies.


fubarz at 7:57 PM June 24, 2011
How come there have not been any scandinavian gangs since the vikings?


Auden Cervenka at 11:09 AM June 24, 2011
These kids DIED, and three families are left without their children/siblings, etc. Lots of people make terrible decisions in youth, but that does not mean that they deserve to die before their 18th birthdays. That people would show so much joy in the deaths of three young people – regardless of their crimes – is appalling.

That said – there are obviously cultural factors in lower-income communities that make it so that criminal acts like the kids committed are seen as a fun time. I grew up in an affluent suburb not too long ago, and got into my fair share of trouble. Kids have been drinking and smoking pot and sneaking out to break curfew for a long time, I can promise you that!

I specifically remember regularly picking up a friend whose strict Japanese parents gave her a 9 p.m. curfew on weekends during senior year of high school. She was first-chair violinist in the school orchestra, top honors student, got into a prominent conservatory for college, and yet somehow still managed to sneak out of the house after her parents went to sleep and then go drink beers and smoke pot with us white kids who had midnight or 1 o’clock curfews. But we did NOT steal cars, steal in general, speed around town and blow stop signs while intoxicated…Good parents might not be able to stop all rebellion, but they do set the limit for what counts as rebellion.


AlwaysRight at 12:01 PM June 24, 2011
Auden Cervenka at 11:09 AM June 24, 2011 These kids DIED, and three families are left without their children/siblings, etc. Lots of people make terrible decisions in youth, but that does not mean that they deserve to die before their 18th birthdays.
You left out a couple of more facts: three kids died, and the world is left without three gangbangers, pot smokers, drunk drivers, wreckless drivers, thieves, felons, troublemakers (all rolled into one package)...I'm sure there is more that could be added to the list, but don't forget these when you go on your boo-hoo rants. Most people in the would would prefer to live WITHOUT people with these traits, no matter how old they are.


im_gumby at 12:38 PM June 24, 2011
@Auden,

Don't consider it as people taking pleasure in their deaths. People are sounding off negatively because these teens tossed their own lives away and its a miracle that no one else was hurt.

The 'joy' as you call it is the backlash by the public.

Sure you can blame the parents. But you should start with blaming the kids. They knew right from wrong but just didn't care.


CraigS at 4:00 PM June 24, 2011
"These kids DIED"

Three kids could have easily killed innocent people, driving at high speed through red lights.

"That people would show so much joy in the deaths of three young people – regardless of their crimes – is appalling."

Sorry, but I'll save my sorrow for innocent, good people who die.

"That said – there are obviously cultural factors in lower-income communities that make it so that criminal acts like the kids committed are seen as a fun time."

So it's society's fault?


burningrabbit1 at 6:40 PM June 24, 2011
Hey, are you related to Exene? I love her music...


fubarz at 7:52 PM June 24, 2011
I am not joyful. Stuff like this has bothered me ever since one of my classmates died...one of many to come...via an accident. None were the result of their own doing though.


jhsmt55 at 12:06 PM June 24, 2011
I have a few of these "good" kids in the family.. and let me tell you, for each young person like these, there are a lot of parents who agree to support them by giveng them all they want, cell phones, money and a life with no responsabilites.
I agree, the parents should have been in the same car, as harsh as it sounds, they are to blame for these kids's lack of responsability.


To2-2oT at 3:40 PM June 24, 2011
"a lot of parents who agree to support them by giveng them all they want, cell phones, money and a life with no responsabilites."

Sounds like youre talking about our government. Free cell phones w/ 250 montly minutes. Link cards. Section 8 housing. A life time of no responsibility.


victor5 at 12:17 PM June 24, 2011
Three less morons to rob, steal, and perhaps kill someone else. If we can't have concealed carry, let's leave more cars unlocked. Donate your car to kids!


cubs1969star at 12:42 PM June 24, 2011
I really despise that jingle.


ice6919 at 12:47 PM June 24, 2011
Wow, your an idiot.


cubs1969star at 12:41 PM June 24, 2011
Stealing cars is not youthful rebellion; it's a serious crime. It's really too bad (for the criminals) that they weren't arrested. They probably would have spent some time in jail until they commit their next crime. Poor tree.


CraigS at 3:58 PM June 24, 2011
What's sad is that theft to them was simply a night's entertainment.


nyerinmo9 at 12:47 PM June 24, 2011
I would say punish the parents, but three sets of parents have received the worst punishment possible. I'm just thankful they didn't kill anyone else.

As of the survivor, perhaps him and his parents should have to do time! Send a signal to these dumb kids, and dumber parents that stupidity and ignorance isn't going to be tolerated!


big_dewey at 1:06 PM June 24, 2011
ps: GET-OFF-MY-LAWN


SquintyMagoo at 1:18 PM June 24, 2011
Did they watch an episode of Jackass before they drove drunk at high speed?


Dredd.Werks at 1:18 PM June 24, 2011
I feel sorry for the tree.


tim1970 at 1:58 PM June 24, 2011
I know they were good kids. All good kids drink when they are under age, smoke pot, and steal a car.


Mr.Bond at 2:21 PM June 24, 2011
And drive said stolen car to another town to mess with a rival gang.


Superdessucke at 2:09 PM June 24, 2011
I sniff a lawsuit against the person who was careless enough to accidently leave their keys in the car, thereby allowing these poor urban youth -- troubled due to the loss of factory jobs taken to China by the evil greedy corporate man -- to come to harm. This is all our fault, not theirs.


CraigS at 3:57 PM June 24, 2011
Though I know you're taking the ****, sadly what you wrote is believable.


Peeteey at 7:59 PM June 24, 2011
Not to mention, the person who was negligent enough to have a tree in their front yard. They should have known some honor students on the way home from a math competition would crash into it.


M. Connors at 8:27 AM June 25, 2011
What about the idiot who sold gas to the car's owner? Geez, I knew I should've gone to law school!


Mashed Potatoes at 10:55 AM June 25, 2011
I wonder if his car insurance will weasel out of paying his claim because he was dumb enough to admit contributory negligence in leaving the keys there.


Comowhat? at 4:04 PM June 24, 2011
Drink? smoke? mess with another gang? car hop? steal from cars? were these kids LOOKING to die? cause they surely found it!


HarryLongabaugh at 5:26 PM June 24, 2011
Where's ROGER EBERT with his comments now? Can't talk smack about a bunch of gang-banging, drunk latinos, but it's ok to mouth off (punn intended) about Ryan Dunn!


potato at 6:46 PM June 24, 2011
Ebert can say whatever he wants. Just like you. He made a point about someone in the entertainment business idolized by teens across the country who murdered his friend.

If you want him to comment on people outside the entertainment industry, why don't you just ask him?


redrocket33 at 8:37 PM June 25, 2011
Well, Harry, you DO realize that society allows for the criticism of some groups of people, while absolutely refusing to tolerate "hate" (the very same criticism) of other groups, right?


sanenazokyahoo at 6:54 PM June 24, 2011
I hope the survivor is forced to do some "scared straight" talks at schools after doing some time in prison. The real victim is the guy who lost his car. I figure these kids' estates are all judgment proof.


bigfoot60 at 7:12 AM June 25, 2011
Scared Straight will not work with this kid. He probably been a gangbanger for a couple of years now. It's a mucho thing, and a badge of honor. I doubt even the boot camp system the courts have will do this kid any good.


Mashed Potatoes at 10:54 AM June 25, 2011
i think this kid is going to think of himself as even more special and more "invincible" than his friends, as he was the only one who survived. He's going to graduate to even riskier behavior.


Peeteey at 8:01 PM June 24, 2011
I'm sure this is very hard for the parents. Years of bad parenting caught up with them really fast that night.


mochdog at 1:49 AM June 25, 2011
UGH. stop blaming the parents! kids will do whatever they want to do! my mom did a great job of raising us 4 girls. i'm the oldest and the most responsible, never in trouble with the police, didn't drink underage, etc, while i absolutely cannot say the same for my 3 younger sisters. kids will do what they want and i'm so scared for my toddler to grow up. we do the best we can to teach them right from wrong but bottom line is they make their own decisions.


mochdog at 1:54 AM June 25, 2011
and my sisters' boyfriends would help my sisters sneak out of the house in the middle of the night by putting ladders up to their 2nd floor windows while my mom slept. what are the parents supposed to do, never sleep?


bigfoot60 at 7:09 AM June 25, 2011
I bet the parents of these kids are gang members themselves.


nyerinmo9 at 8:10 AM June 25, 2011
@mochdog..... don't teach your toddler! Just let the kid learn on his/her own. Seriously, don't teach the kid not to put its hand on a hot stove, to look both ways before crossing a street.... afterall, you believe kids will do whatever they want to do anyway!

REALITY.... parents mold children into young adults. Will they make some mistakes, sure. STEALING CARS? DOING DRUGS? I think a parent's influence makes a HUGE difference.


mochdog at 10:42 AM June 25, 2011
lordy. apparently i didn't word things properly. of course i'm going to teach my daughter right from wrong and to be the best person she can be and i can only hope and trust that other parents do the same. we were all raised in a christian household and i will do the best to provide the same for my daughter.

You are right in saying parents mold their children into young adults and they will make mistakes. i'm just saying it's getting a little old fully blaming the parents, when some teens will do things without thinking of the consequences, regardless of their upbringing, as other commenters have stated. that is also a reality. just like most news stories, the majority of us readers have no idea what the parents were like or how they raised these kids that made the ultimate bad decision (well, several bad decisions at once in this case), only speculate. they could have been terrible parents or great, involved parents. it's not our place to judge that. i'm sure there are many factors here.

i have relatives that are wonderful parents, one is a pastor, and yet one of their kids was doing drugs, drove, and died in a car accident. even with that, their youngest is underage drinking all the time behind her parents' back. and they have the best influences all around them.

anyway, this really is a sad story and i hope others will learn from it.


Ralphieboy at 11:47 AM June 25, 2011
One's position in life doesn't make them a good parent. A preacher, big deal, who knows how he treated (or ignored) the kid away from the spot light. Yes, imo, there are circumstances where a kid makes a bad decision and has an accident, but in a case like this, this was a lifestyle apparently approved of or ignored by the parents.


koala11 at 8:08 PM June 25, 2011
ur just a dumbass...treated well by you parents for being 'special' while the others were neglected


chigirl1 at 2:01 PM June 25, 2011
Parents ultimately make the difference. When kids are teens, they do make stupid mistakes. But I don't know any that would steal a car and then want to go make trouble with another gang! Teach them when they are young and they will make it thru the terrible teens without killing their friends.


Mikey72 at 4:02 PM June 25, 2011
See here is the hting: When it happened all the interviewed relatives said the dead were "good kids." And so the news stations and newspapers ran with that. No cautionary words. Just blabber. Now we find they were using drugs and alcohol (all were under age) were in a gang-ralted activity and of course in a stolen car. This is why not many trust newspapers anymore. Common sense has gone out and fast reports are in, even if prevailing evidence at the time (stolen car) refutes what is being said. Yes, parents and firends have the right o speak and be reported. But news people also have the duty to present reall stories and not those tinged with obvious falsehoods. Where are the responsible reports?


koala11 at 8:07 PM June 25, 2011
good news