When Norman David Esho was killed in a hit-and-run two years ago and no one was arrested for the crime, a relative told the Sun-Times, “Maybe nobody saw him, but God saw him.”
Turns out, one of the driver’s friends did see him plow into the 83-year-old man on the night of Aug. 20, 2013 and asked him the next day why he didn’t stop, Cook County prosecutors said Tuesday.
Rasheed Mujkovic explained he had drugs in the car and didn’t want to want to get caught, Assistant State’s Attorney Barry Quinn said.
Mujkovic went on to tell the friend he’d burn the car and report it stolen, Quinn said.
The next day, Mujkovic’s child’s mother–the owner of the Chevy Suburban—filed the report, Quinn said.
And for nearly two years, Mujkovic was on the lam.
But on Tuesday he was arrested in north suburban Lincolnwood for the crash that killed Esho, Quinn said.
Esho, a refugee from Iraq, was on his way to a relative’s video store when he was hit in the intersection of Devon and California.
The Suburban Mujkovic was driving made a quick left turn from Devon onto California, striking the left side of the vehicle, Quinn said.
Esho’s body hit the hood and driver’s side windshield before he fell under the SUV and was dragged for 15 to 20 feet, Quinn said.
Mujkovic’s friend was leaving a restaurant and heard the loud noise, Quinn said.
He then saw the SUV with the distinctive silver rims go southbound on California and recognized Mujkovic in the driver’s seat, Quinn said.
Mujkovic continued to a friend’s house in the 6000 block of North Fairfield where he parked the SUV, Quinn said.
Police later found the suburban at the Fairfield address after receiving an anonymous tip.
A woman at the residence told officers then that Mujkovic would take the car on occasion and would leave the keys in the front of her house, Quinn said.
Police saw that the vehicle had a shattered windshield and were told it didn’t have visible damage before the day Esho was killed, Quinn said.
Quinn didn’t tell Judge Donald Panarese why the investigation leading to Mujkovic’s arrest took so long.
But the prosecutor said police had issued an alert and had worked with the community and witnesses extensively to solve the crime.
Mujkovic , 22, of the of the 5600 block of West Goodman, was ordered held in lieu of $150,000 bail Tuesday.
Esho and his family fled Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in search of a peaceful life in America in 1994, a relative told the Sun-Times in 2013.
His wife died of a heart attack in 2003.
For fun, he sang Assyrian songs and had made a CD of his music, his family said.
Contributing: Rummana Hussain