COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Prosecutors have charged an Indiana man in the murder of Pamela Johnson, the Chicago woman killed while fleeing alleged robbers on Lake Shore Drive late last month.
Devonte Dodd, 20, appeared in bond court Monday on charges of first-degree murder, mob action and attempted robbery. Prosecutors said witnesses were able to identify Dodd by his "distinctive floppy hat," which was caught on surveillance video.
Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas on Monday set bail at $250,000. Should Dodd post bond, the judge ordered he would be required to live with relatives in Cook County and maintain a strict curfew.
"If he's not working and he's not in school, he is home 24/7," Chiampas said. "Do I make myself clear?"
After court Monday, Dodd's defense attorney, Steven Hunter, said Dodd was innocent and "looking forward to clearing his name." Hunter said Dodd's relatives are "very upset. They know [Dodd] to be a nice young man."
Alleged accomplice Semaj Waters, 18, was charged over the weekend and hit with a $500,000 bail. Prosecutors believe Waters was carrying a gun when he, Dodd and roughly a dozen others chased Johnson on May 29.
Johnson and her boyfriend were sitting near Lake Michigan about 1:30 a.m. May 29 when a group of 10-13 people approached the couple in the 600 block of North Lake Shore Drive, Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Santini said during a bond hearing Monday.
Three members of the larger group — Waters, Dodd and another man — walked toward Johnson and her boyfriend, prosecutors said.
Waters then stood in front of the couple with his hand in his backpack, while Dodd and the other man stood closely behind the couple, according to Santini.
Johnson's boyfriend was nervous about the strangers' behavior, prosecutors said, but Waters, Dodd and the third man soon cleared out when other lakeshore visitors began to walk and ride bicycles nearby.
Johnson's boyfriend feared he and Johnson were about to be robbed, according to Santini. The boyfriend decided that he and Johnson should run across Lake Shore Drive if the group returned.
Moments later, Waters, Dodd and two other men began walking back toward Johnson and her boyfriend, Santini said. The rest of the original larger group trailed behind those four men, according surveillance footage from the Chicago Police Department.
At that point, Johnson and her boyfriend climbed the concrete divider on to Lake Shore Drive, prosecutors said.
Johnson's boyfriend heard someone shout, "We have a runner!" as Waters, Dodd and other men began jumping the concrete barriers and chasing the couple across the highway.
Prosecutors allege Waters pulled a gun from his backpack as he hopped on to Lake Shore Drive. Johnson's boyfriend spotted the gun and was later able to identify Dodd as one of the attackers by his "distinctive floppy hat," Santini said.
Johnson and her boyfriend were both struck by a car in the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive, according to authorities. Johnson was later pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital; her boyfriend was treated for a sprained ankle.
Waters, Dodd and their accomplices made it safely across Lake Shore Drive and took off running, prosecutors said. Johnson's boyfriend was able to point out several of the attackers to first responders, but no arrests were made that evening.
Nearby security footage captured Waters, Dodd and several of their alleged accomplices continuing to walk around together after the attack, Santini said.
CTA footage shows the group traveling together Downtown prior to the incident and returning to the South Side afterward, prosecutors said.
According to Santini, Dodd was identified by at least two witnesses and surveillance footage. He was described as wearing a distinctive floppy hat, which can be seen in the videos, prosecutors said.
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