Maya Smith: Mother, 24, Found Shot Multiple Times In Car; Child Unharmed
Maya Smith, 23, was found shot to death in her vehicle on early Sunday morning on January 8, 2023 in Joilet, Illinois, just outside Chicago. Her 2-year-old daughter was found in the backseat unharmed.
Maya Smith, 24, was the type of person that was always there for her family and friends when they were in need.
"She always came through for me all the time... For me, I lost a sister. Maya was more like a sister to me than anything," close friend Tasia Waters told TV station ABC 7.
Smith was found shot to death in her vehicle on early Sunday morning on January 8, 2023 in Joilet, Illinois, just outside Chicago. Her 2-year-old daughter was found in the backseat unharmed.
Investigating officers said that Smith had been shot several times sometime after midnight on a suburban street.
Friends said that Smith was very particular about who she brought around her daughter.
"She was very, very picky with who can take care of her daughter. I loved, I loved that about her. It was like she always wanted her safe all the time," Waters was quoted as saying. "She was a genuine person. She was very sweet. So sweet."
Smith worked at a local bank but she also had an entrepreneurial spirit about her, Waters said. "She wanted to own her own business. She was going to be successful any kind of way she could."
Police arrested 48-year-0ld Jermaine Mandley in the slaying of Smith and charged him with first-degree murder.
In a statement about the murder, The Joliet police chief released a statement, saying, "In my 28 years in law enforcement, this is one of the most heinous acts that I've encountered. I'm extremely proud of our detectives, who have worked around the clock to bring this coward to justice. I hope this quick arrest provides comfort to the family of Ms. Smith during a time of such unspeakable loss."
"I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Smith. In my 28 years in law enforcement, this is one of the most heinous acts that I've encountered," Joliet Police Chief William Evan said in a release. "I'm extremely proud of our Detectives who have worked around the clock to bring this coward to justice. I hope this quick arrest provides comfort to the family of Ms. Smith during a time of such unspeakable loss. Thank you to our law enforcement partners for their cooperation during this investigation."
Smith’s child is being cared for by family
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