Police have charged the 4 suspects, who kidnapped and tortured a special needs teen on Facebook Live, with multiple charges including hate crimes and felony kidnapping.
Jordan Hill, 18; Tesfaye Cooper; 18; Brittany Covington, 18; and Tanishia Covington, 24, have each been charged with aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, felony aggravated kidnapping, and a hate crime.
Hill, Cooper and Brittany Covington face additional charges of residential burglary. Jordan Hill also faces charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Via CNN:
The teen was tied up for four or five hours, Cmdr. Kevin Duffin of the Chicago Police Department told reporters. The victim will recover from his injuries and is at home with his parents, police said.
The teen's brother-in-law spoke briefly with reporters Thursday night.
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so grateful for all the prayers and efforts that led to the safe return of our brother. We're fully aware of the charges being brought against the offenders. At this time, we ask for continued prayers for all those involved, for our family's privacy as we cope and heal," David Boyd said, reading a statement.
Boyd said the teen is doing as well as can be expected. He told the media that everyone in the family has seen the video, but he didn't comment further on it.
Duffin said the department sought hate crime charges because of the victim's diminished mental capacity, the fact that the four suspects tied him up and the racial epithets heard on the video. The victim apparently is white; the suspects are African-American.