2nd Park Forest man charged in Indiana killing
A third man has been charged with murder from a January shooting in Griffith, Ind., that left a a Portage, Ind., High School senior dead.
Giovante Galloway, 21, of Gary, Ind., and his uncle, Juarez Rogers, 49, of Park Forest, were previously charged in the Jan. 9 killing of Alayna Ortiz, 18, ofValparaiso, Ind.
Chargeswere made public Friday against Elrice Williams, 25, of Park Forest, in the case.
Williams was charged with murder, attempted robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, attemptedarmed robbery and two counts of burglary.
Galloway and Rogers were each charged with murder, attempted robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, attempted armed robbery, attempted burglary and burglary.
On Jan. 9, Ortiz was shot in the head while in a red SUV in the parking lot of Park West Apartments in the 1800 block of North Arbogast Street, court records state.
The shooting resulted from an attempted robbery in Gary earlier that day due to Galloway owingWilliam Hawkins, Ortiz’s boyfriend, $1,600 for marijuana, police said. Galloway had planned “to rob Hawkins of his marijuana in order to raise the money to pay Hawkins back,” according to police.
A person told police that Galloway had approached himJan. 8torobWilliams, a probable cause affidavit states. Galloway said “a few guys from Chicago would be coming to assist in the robbery,” but the person declined Galloway’s offer, according to the affidavit.
On Jan. 10, the person went to Galloway’s residence, the affidavit states. Galloway described how a gun malfunctioned during the robbery but said they took money, marijuana and THC cartridges, according to the affidavit.
“(The person) was told by Galloway that the group’s intent was to murder Hawkins during the robbery,” the affidavit states.
On Jan. 9, Galloway, his uncle and three others waited outside a house in the 4400 block ofMadison Street in Gary to rob Hawkins, according to the affidavit. As they tried to enter, someone from inside the residence fired gunshots, so the group “retreated” to the vehicle and “began ‘plotting’ again,” the affidavit states.
While doing so, Hawkins reached out to Galloway and asked for payment, according to the affidavit. Galloway told Hawkins that “he did not have the money but would the next day,” the affidavit states. Galloway later admitted to investigators “that he still intended to rob Hawkins and repay him with the stolen money,” court records state.
Hawkins then arrived at the Madison Street residence, and two people from inside the residence got in a red SUV withHawkins and Ortiz, according to the affidavit. As the SUV drove away, Galloway and his group followed to continue the robbery, the affidavit states.
The SUV went to Park West Apartments, where Galloway’s group blocked the SUV in, according to the affidavit. One of the people from Galloway’s vehicle went to the rear passenger side door of the SUV and tried to fire. Another person, who Galloway identified as Williams, went to the driver’s side door of the SUV, according to the affidavit.
Galloway said he then heard glass break, and the red SUV drove away from Galloway’s group, the affidavit states. Hawkins drove the SUV to a strip mall where they flagged down officers.
The driver for Galloway’s group was killed in February in Markham, the affidavit states.