16-year-old charged in Hanover Park murder; victim of 2nd murder ID'd

A Hanover Park teenager will be tried as an adult on a first-degree murder charge in the weekend stabbing death of Diontae Roberts, 23, in Hanover Park.

Cook County Judge Kay Hanlon set bond at $900,000 Monday for Jahaziel Duron, 16, who also was charged with attempted first-degree murder for an assault on Roberts' 19-year-old brother, Michael Cherry.

Duron, of the 1600 block of Poplar Avenue, will be prosecuted as an adult. It is Daily Herald policy to identify a juvenile charged as an adult with a serious crime. If convicted, Duron could spend 20 to 60 years in prison.

In a separate homicide Saturday in Hanover Park, the victim was identified by a relative as Pamela Howat, 51. Authorities aren't yet officially releasing the name. But Andrea Howat of Arlington Heights, a niece, said today police had told her the victim was her aunt Pamela, though they didn't provide any additional information.

Records show Pamela Howat owned the home, which is in a quiet neighborhood of more than one acre lots near County Farm Road and Lawrence Avenue that rarely sees any police activity.

Police were called to the Howat residence 18 hours after Roberts was stabbed.

Diontae Roberts was killed in a fight that broke out at a party about 12:30 a.m. Saturday at a home on the 8000 block of Catawba Lane in Hanover Park. Cherry was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates where he was treated for a nicked kidney and released.

The victim suffered six stab wounds to his upper body, said Assistant State's Attorney Maria McCarthy at Duron's bond hearing in Rolling Meadows. Nine witnesses identified Duron as the assailant, including three who witnessed the attack, and three who heard Duron brag about it, McCarthy said.

Police interviewed about 30 people Saturday at the party. Police have not recovered the murder weapon, McCarthy said, but they did recover stained clothes that tested positive for blood.

"At this time, (Duron) is the only person we're charging," Hanover Park interim Police Chief David Webb said.

Authorities are not releasing any of the facts behind what started the fight, but "there's an element of it being gang related," Webb said.

Coincidentally, the village and Elgin Area Unit District 46 are jointly conducting a forum on gang awareness 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Laurel Hill Elementary School, 1750 Laurel Ave.

"It was scheduled before these homicides occurred," Webb said. "We've recognized that we've had a spike in gang activity and we're doing all we can to respond to it."

The investigation is being conducted by the Hanover Park Police Department and the Major Case Assistance Team, with assistance of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.

Court records show Duron has several arrests as a juvenile, with at least one conviction for criminal damage to property and theft. He received 30 months probation in that case and later was charged with violating his probation for getting a tattoo and testing positive for a controlled substance. He next appears in court on June 29.

Funeral arrangements for Roberts are still pending.

Meanwhile, the Hanover Park Police, the DuPage County Major Crimes Task force and the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office are continuing to investigate Howat's murder.

The weekend homicides came two days after the murder of 31-year-old Norma Favela, a pregnant mother of two, who was killed at her Hanover Park home. Favela's boyfriend, Rafael Alvarado, 32, is charged with her murder, and also with that of her unborn child.

Visitation for Favela was held Sunday at De La Torre Funeral Home in Chicago, and burial will be in Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, Mexico.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=299044">Recent violence clouding progress in Hanover Park<span class="date">[6/8/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>