CHICAGO – A judge sentenced a man to 24 years in prison Friday morning for deliberately running over and killing a woman in front of her daughter in River North four years ago.
Edgar Roman, 29, pleaded guilty to malice murder in connection with the crime, which occurred at State and Hubbard streets in August 2020. Judge Diana Kenworth ordered Roman to serve 100% of his sentence.
Prosecutors said Zoraleigh Ryan, 55, and her daughter, who was 20 at the time, were visiting Chicago when they took an Uber from their hotel to have dinner at Chicago Cut steakhouse, 300 North LaSalle.
They decided to walk back to the hotel, stopping at a convenience store along the way, but the 7-Eleven at State and Hubbard was closed due to damage from looting the night before. At that point, the older Ryan didn’t want to walk, and the women decided to take an Uber to take them back to their hotel.
As they crossed Hubbard on the east side of State Street, the younger Ryan saw Roman’s SUV coming toward them at a high rate of speed. Officials said he made a wide right turn onto Hubbard, driving into oncoming traffic with his tires screeching. The front of his SUV struck both women in the crosswalk.
The force of the collision threw the Ryanses toward the northeast corner of the intersection. As the 20-year-old climbed to his feet, Zoraleigh was left lying against the curb.
A bystander began caring for Zoraleigh, who was still alive and able to talk about the pain she was feeling. Meanwhile, Roman reportedly parked his SUV nearby, walked to within ten feet of where Zoraleigh lay and looked at her.
Ryan’s daughter, who suffered a broken wrist and abrasions, screamed for the Good Samaritan to take a photo of Roman and the SUV’s license plate number. While the man was taking photos, Roman reportedly backed his SUV toward him and sped away.
Less than a minute later, the SUV returned at a high rate of speed and drove down Hubbard Street with its engine running, prosecutors said. Roman allegedly aimed directly at Zoraleigh Ryan, who was still lying next to the curb, at her daughter and at the man who stopped to help.
Officials say the man pulled the younger woman out of the SUV’s path and the passing vehicle “brushed” them both.
But Roman ran straight over Zoraleigh and her body became trapped under the SUV, which drove around half a block before breaking free, prosecutors alleged. Zoraleigh’s daughter and the witness ran to her and held her head, but she was no longer breathing.
While waiting for police, the man and 20-year-old Roman were seen returning to the scene a second time in his SUV before driving away. He then returned a third time when police arrived, leading to a chase. After crashing through barricades at the Merchandise Mart, the SUV sped out of the area and police lost sight of it.
About an hour later, CPD license plate reader technology detected the SUV on the Northwest Side, and police began searching that area for Roman’s car. While police searched for the truck, Roman walked into the local police precinct to file a report, claiming he had been carjacked at gunpoint in River North.
While police were talking to him about his carjacking claim, officers found his SUV on a side street near the Kennedy Expressway and Montrose. Roman was held for questioning.
During interviews with detectives, Roman initially stuck to his carjacking story, but later admitted to driving and beating the victims, prosecutors said. Zoraleigh’s daughter and the man who helped her identified Roman in photo lineups.
Roman will receive credit for his time in prison, so he will likely be eligible for parole in August 2044.
