Chicago Heights police said officers responded at about 3:50 p.m. Monday to a disturbance in the 1500-block of Hanover Street and found two teens each with stab wounds.
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Relatives of the 13-year-old boy who was killed, identified as David Sanchez, said he had a big heart and a bright future. His siblings said the man who stabbed him did it in front of his own children.
Detectives used license plate reader technology to locate the suspect's vehicle and took 50-year-old Oronde Hardy of Sauk Village into custody, police said.
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Hardy stabbed the boys after a verbal altercation, police said. He has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
"It was just crazy," the victim's sister Angele Sanchez said. "How can a grown man stab two kids like that? How can you just do that?"
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Angela was with her four brothers was at a park in Chicago Heights after school when she said Hardy, who was with his children, approached them.
"He just kept staring at us, like he was mean-mugging us," Angela said. "And we're just confused."
After words were exchanged, Angela said Hardy attacked them, stabbing her 13-year-old brother David in the arm and her other brother, 15-year-old Victor, in the back.
"We're just kids," Victor said. "Why would he stab two kids like that? Really don't make no sense."
After being rushed to a local medical center, David was airlifted to Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago, but he'd lost too much blood and did not survive.
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"I didn't even know what to do," Angela said. "I just... I just sat there, and I just cried. That was my baby brother. How can you just take my brother?"
Relatives said David loved basketball and dogs and was set to graduate middle school in the spring.
"He had such a bright future," Angela said. "He was such a smart kid. He was wonderful, and I miss him."
Hardy appeared in court Thursday. Hardy said he served in the military and works at Amazon.
A judge ruled Hardy to remain in police custody until further hearings.