

Lizbeth Urbina, a 24-year-old mom of a 3-year-old and 1-year-old, has been on a ventilator at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for nearly per week.
An off-duty police officer allegedly exchanged gunfire with a person in Urbina’s automobile within the northbound lanes of the Stevenson Expressway close to Archer Avenue on Thursday night time, which left her with life-threatening accidents. Authorities have stated it was not clear who fired the spherical that hit Urbina.
Urbina continues to be in important situation, her sister Lizeth Urbina, 27, confirmed to the Tribune.
“She’s actually simply going day-to-day,” she stated.
On a sunny Wednesday, a gaggle of 10 folks together with Urbina’s sister, mates and supporters gathered on the Illinois State Police District Chicago headquarters in Des Plaines to demand authorities launch video of the capturing and conduct a good investigation.

Urbina’s household additionally filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Prepare dinner County Circuit Court docket towards town of Chicago and the Chicago police officer concerned, per the household’s lawyer, Richard Dvorak. Neighborhood organizers additionally had been demanding solutions.
“We’re actually on the lookout for a very reasonable investigation,” Baltazar Enriquez instructed reporters in entrance of the state police headquarters.
Enriquez is president of Little Village Neighborhood Council, which organized the information convention and ready a public information request for state police to launch any video they could have of the incident.
“We’re right here as a household, as a group to help Ms. Urbina, to make it possible for she will get justice, and make it possible for the reality comes out,” he stated. “The household deserves this. The group deserves this.”
A pal tightly held Lizeth Urbina’s hand, standing behind Dvorak as he detailed the lawsuit, which he stated was based mostly on the police officer’s model of occasions outlined in bond court docket.
“And based mostly on the officer’s model of occasions, this was a very unjustifiable, reckless capturing,” he added.
The lawsuit alleges Urbina was in her automobile, stopped at a pink gentle on Kedzie Avenue proper earlier than the ramp to the northbound lanes of I-55, when the officer’s automotive approached and stopped behind her. He was on his approach to work, Dvorak stated.
When the sunshine turned inexperienced, Urbina didn’t instantly transfer her automotive, at which level the officer allegedly honked his horn at her.
“This then led to some back-and-forth interactions between the automobiles,” the lawsuit reads. The argument continued as each automobiles received onto I-55, Dvorak stated.
“(The officer) had a complete host of issues he might have performed to de-escalate the state of affairs, and as a substitute he escalated it, and the result’s a younger girl who’s within the ICU proper now, preventing for her life,” he stated.

The officer might have referred to as 911, slowed down, exited the freeway or pulled over, Dvorak stated.
At one level, Dvorak stated, the passenger in Urbina’s automobile, David Abarca, allegedly pointed a inexperienced laser on the officer. He stated the officer shot into Urbina’s automobile on account of the laser being pointed at him.
The lawsuit alleges Urbina was unarmed on the time of the capturing. Abarca has since been charged with tried homicide in what authorities have described because the buying and selling of gunfire that adopted the confrontation.
Based on the lawsuit, the officer admitted to firing the primary shot and to firing a number of pictures at Urbina’s automobile. A bullet struck the left aspect of Urbina’s head.
Urbina is at the moment unable to talk, based on her household. Her sister Lizeth instructed the Tribune “if she makes it, she’s gonna want a second surgical procedure. So, fairly unclear how issues are going to be within the subsequent few days.”

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“Lizbeth will not be out of the woods,” Dvorak stated. “We have no idea what lies forward of her, however she is a fighter, and we’re hopeful she recovers. Till then, nonetheless, my legislation agency and her household should communicate on her behalf to get her justice.”
He stated that prosecutors repeatedly referred to Urbina as “co-offender” throughout a bond listening to for Abarca on Sunday.
“She is a sufferer and nothing extra,” he stated.
After the information convention, Enriquez led the group to the steps of the state police headquarters to attempt to meet with somebody and make their calls for identified. Capt. David Keltner talked briefly with Enriquez in entrance of the constructing’s glass doorways.
“All we wish to know is the reality,” Enriquez stated earlier. “What actually occurred.”
adperez@chicagotribune.com