The suburban Chicago teen brutally beaten in an attack that was broadcast live on social media this week knew one of his alleged attackers and had traveled to the city with him for a sleepover, police said Thursday, hours after four people were charged in the incident.
Thirty minutes of the torturous attack were streamed live on Facebook, but authorities said it was a six-hour ordeal that evolved out of a play fight, with the victim beaten, kicked, cut and forced to drink from a toilet.
"The actions in that video are reprehensible. That along with racism have absolutely no place in the city of Chicago or anywhere else for that matter against anyone regardless of their race, gender, state of mental health or any other identifying factor," Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Thursday.
The victim, who is not being identified, is an 18-year-old with "mental health challenges" from Crystal Lake.
Authorities believe the teenager knew Jordan Hill, who has been charged in the case, from school and went with him willingly on New Year's Eve. They allege Hill stole a van and picked the victim up from a Streamwood McDonald's before bringing him to the city, 50 miles from his home, police said.
The victim's parents knew the teen would be spending the night with a friend, but reported him missing the next day, police said.
During the days that followed, the pair spent their time traveling to various places in Chicago, with the victim sleeping inside the stolen van.
It wasn't until Tuesday police said the attack happened.
The victim was involved in a play fight with Hill that "escalated" before he was bound and tortured for an estimated six hours, police said.
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Streamwood authorities also say the suspects had been sending the victim’s parents text messages while holding him hostage.
A neighbor called authorities complaining about noise coming from the apartment where the teen was being held, and it was during an incident that followed the teen was able to escape, according to authorities.
Just after 5 p.m. Tuesday, police found the teen walking in the 3400 block of West Lexington "bloodied," "battered," and "discombobulated."
He then led the police back to the nearby home where he was tortured.
"I just can't believe anybody would do that to someone, especially a special needs child," the victim's grandmother told NBC.
Hill, 18, of Carpentersville was charged along with Tesfaye Cooper, 18, of Chicago; Brittany Covington, 18, of Chicago and Tanishia Covington, 24, of Chicago, with aggravated kidnapping, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Hill, Cooper and Brittany Covington also face charges of residential burglary. Hill was also charged with robbery and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
They are expected to appear in court Friday afternoon; it is not clear if they have attorneys.
"This is going to affect him for probably the rest of his life," the teen's grandmother said.
