Police find woman, 24, shot to death, toddler unharmed inside car in Joliet alley
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) -- Police are investigating after a woman was found dead inside a vehicle in Joliet Sunday morning. A 2-year-old girl was also discovered unharmed in the backseat.
Around 12:21 a.m., officers responded to a parking complaint in an alley west of the 1200 block of Clement Street.
Upon arrival, they found the woman in the front seat of the vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Her 2-year-old daughter was in the back seat, unharmed.
Detectives and evidence technicians were called to the scene and an investigative canvas of the area was completed.
A representative from the Will County Coroner's Office responded to the scene and pronounced the victim dead. She has been identified as 24-year-old Maya Smith, of Joliet, and an autopsy determined she died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Her 2-year-old daughter was transported to Ascension Saint Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department for a precautionary medical evaluation. The child was released to the custody of other family members, police said.
The investigation is ongoing.
CBS 2 sent police a few names of suspects being floated by family and friends, but Joliet police weren't naming anyone Monday afternoon.
Police said more information on the case could take days, but they are hoping sooner. The Joliet Police Department had planned on holding a press conference on Monday afternoon, but that did not happen.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Joliet Police Department Investigation Unit at 815-724-3020. Information can also be submitted anonymously to Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734 or online at https://crimestoppersofwillcounty.org/.
