A quiet overnight food delivery on Chicago’s West Side ended in tragedy after a violent carjacking left a young delivery driver dead and a suspect facing serious criminal charges.
Authorities say the victim, 28-year-old Daniel Figueroa, was working late into the night delivering meals through Uber Eats when the fatal encounter unfolded in the early hours of Monday morning.
A Routine Delivery Turns Deadly
According to investigators with the Chicago Police Department, the incident happened around 2:10 a.m. in the 5500 block of West Flournoy Street in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood, just steps from Loretto Hospital.
Police believe Figueroa had just arrived to deliver food to hospital staff working the overnight shift. Late night deliveries to hospitals are common because doctors and nurses often order meals during long hours on duty.
But what should have been a simple drop off quickly turned into a violent confrontation.
Investigators say suspects attempted to carjack Figueroa as he carried out the delivery. During the attack, his vehicle was taken and he was struck by the car as it fled the scene. Authorities later found him lying unresponsive in the street, suffering severe injuries.
Emergency responders rushed him to Mount Sinai Hospital, but doctors were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Suspect Identified and Charged
Within hours of the incident, police identified a suspect.
Authorities arrested Montoya Perry, a 33-year-old woman from Maywood, roughly 10 hours after the deadly encounter.
Prosecutors have charged Perry with one felony count of murder and one felony count of vehicular hijacking in connection with Figueroa’s death.
Investigators allege she participated in the carjacking that led to the driver being struck by his own vehicle during the escape.
Perry was scheduled to appear before a judge in Cook County Criminal Court for a detention hearing as the case moves forward. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that additional suspects could be involved.
Unanswered Questions
Despite the arrest, several details of the attack remain unclear.
Officials say the exact cause and manner of Figueroa’s death is still under investigation by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. An early autopsy was inconclusive and further studies are pending.
Neighbors in the area told reporters that the driver may have been dragged by the vehicle during the carjacking, although police have not confirmed those accounts.
Detectives continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses to piece together what happened during the violent confrontation.
A Family Left Devastated
For Figueroa’s loved ones, the loss has been devastating.
Family members described him as hardworking and devoted to those around him. His girlfriend said he had just finished a shift at Amazon earlier that night before logging onto Uber Eats to earn extra money for his household.
She said he treated her young son like his own and often worked multiple jobs to provide for their family.
His father, Carlos Figueroa, struggled to comprehend the loss, saying his son was far too young to die.
Delivery Driver Safety Under Scrutiny
The case has once again raised concerns about the risks faced by gig economy delivery drivers who often work alone during late night hours.
Uber confirmed that Figueroa was an active delivery driver on the platform and expressed condolences to his family. The company also said it is cooperating with investigators as they continue their homicide investigation.
Hospital officials also released a statement acknowledging the tragedy and confirming they are assisting law enforcement.
As the legal process begins for the suspect, the killing of a young driver simply doing his job has shaken the community and renewed calls for stronger safety protections for delivery workers navigating city streets in the middle of the night.
Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, CBS News