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3 teen girls watching movie during spring break sleepover attacked by Rockford stabber, prosecutors say
A spring break sleepover turned into sheer horror for three teenage girls who were among the random victims of an alleged spree killer in Rockford, Illinois, a county prosecutor said.
Christian Soto stands accused of multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. One of the victims, Jenna Newcomb, 15, died trying to save her sister and her friend, according to Rockford’s mayor.
Officials disclosed the details at a news conference Thursday outlining the case against Soto.
“It’s spring break, girls watching a movie. I can’t even comprehend that,” said Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, choking on these words.
Jenna’s friend, who was only identified by her initials, had spent the night, and the girls were watching a movie in the basement on Wednesday afternoon, Winnebago County Prosecutor J. Hanley said.
Jenna’s sister was in the kitchen fixing something to eat around 1:30 p.m. when Soto entered the home through an unlocked back door off the garage.
Soto, who was covered in blood, grabbed one of Jenna’s softball bats, Hanley said.
Jenna’s sister, who also was not identified, ran to the basement to warn the girls.
Soto followed, cornered them in the room, and began hitting the girls with the bat, Hanley said. Jenna collapsed and lost consciousness.
She never recovered.
As Hanley described the horrifying details, he struggled to keep his composure.
At one point, Jenna’s friend was lying in a fetal position as Soto struck her on her left side.
Suddenly, Hanley said Soto stopped and said he was going upstairs to get a gun.
That’s when Jenna’s friend called the police and then ran outside to find officers already nearby responding to Soto’s ongoing rampage.
Soto told detectives that he entered the home through the open garage and back door, found a bat in the kitchen, and went to the basement to attack the girls, Hanley said.
Jenna’s sister and friend suffered lacerations and bruises, and the sister also was being treated for a fracture.
The bat was discovered in an upstairs bedroom, covered with blood.
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A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
