Foxx Drops Charges Against Woman, Son In Chicago Hot Dog Stand Slaying

CHICAGO — The Cook County State’s Attorney has dismissed murder charges against a mother and son who had been charged with the shooting death of a man outside of a Chicago hot dog stand last week, officials announced on Monday.

State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said on Monday that her office will drop felony charges against Carlisha Hood and her 14-year-old son who had been charged in the incident that took place in the June 18 killing of a 32-year-old Chicago man, Jeremy A. Brown.

Both had been charged with murder after police said that Hood, 35, had instructed her son to shoot Brown after she and Brown became involved in an argument in the vestibule of Maxwell Street Express on Chicago’s South Side.

Police said Hood had gone into the restaurant to get food while her son waited in the car.

Police said that after the two started to argue, Hood began texting her son who entered the restaurant. Court documents show that Brown began to punch Hood in the head at which point, the 14-year-old took out a gun and began firing multiple shots at Brown. Police said that Hood distracted a witness and then instructed her son to shoot Brown.

Chicago Police said that Brown died from gunshot wounds to the back.

Both the woman and her son were charged with first-degree murder and Hood was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was being held on a $3 million bond and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

However, Foxx’s office instead announced that charges had been dropped.

“Based upon the facts, evidence, and the law we are unable to meet our burden of proof in the prosecution of these cases,” Foxx said in a statement.

The statement did not elaborate on what led to the decision to drop the charges against the woman and her son other than to say there was "emerging evidence" related to the case.