Woman, 21, fatally shot in robbery inside car in front of 2 nieces on NW Side

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Friday, November 2, 2018
Woman, 21, fatally shot in robbery inside car in front of 2 nieces
A 21-year-old woman was shot and killed in front of her two nieces after a robber got into her car on Chicago's Northwest Side Wednesday night, police said.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 21-year-old woman was shot and killed in front of her two nieces after a robber got into her car on Chicago's Northwest Side Wednesday night, police said.

The victim's family said Maira Coronel was in the car with her twin sister and young nieces at the time, and now the family is grieving her loss.

The incident occurred at about 9:22 p.m. in the 2200-block of North Long Avenue, police said.

The victim's family said, Maira, her sister and the two young girls, ages 1 and 2, were trick-or-treating when an unknown man got into their car and put a gun to Maira's back and said he would kill the kids if she didn't give him money. She had only $40 on her so she handed it over.

The man then demanded her cell phone. Her family said she refused and then he shot her. Chicago police said he shot her twice in the head, killing her.

The killer jumped out of the car in the 2300-block of North Lawler and took off on foot.

"It's crazy, because I live down the block and usually we don't really hear about no cases like this," said resident David Mendoza.

Maira's family now wants justice for her.

"She was a kind person," said Leticia Coronel, the victim's sister. "She never do anything to anybody...lovely person."

The family is asking for the public's help finding the shooter.

"We want the people, if they know something about it, let us know and the police," she said.

"To the perpetrator: you need to turn yourself in because I can guarantee you if your fingerprints are all over that car, save your mother and your father the headache and turn yourself in, because it will be a matter of time, especially if you're in the system already," said community activist Andrew Holmes.

Her family said Maira would have gone to a job interview on Thursday.

So far no suspects are in custody, but police are reviewing the evidence, including Maira's cellphone, which her family says is now with investigators.