Teens accused of killing woman while throwing rocks at cars charged with murder

Three teens in Colorado have been each charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of a woman who was struck by a rock that was thrown into her car, killing her before she crashed the vehicle.

Alexa Bartell, 20, was driving and talking to her friend on the phone when she was hit by a rock last month in Colorado. The attack killed Bartell before she crashed her car into a field, according to police. Her friend tracked Bartell’s location with a phone app, finding her dead in her car.

Now, three teens accused of the killing have been arrested and charged with murder. Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, Joseph Koenig and Zachary Kwak, all 18, are all facing charges of first-degree murder in Bartell’s death. The teens are also facing attempted first-degree murder, second-degree assault and attempted second-degree assault in alleged other attacks on cars outside of Denver.

Investigators said two other drivers suffered minor injuries in similar attacks pinned to the teens.

Investigators believe the rocks were between 4 to 6 inches in diameter and weighed between 3 to 5 pounds.

Karol-Chik told investigators the group slowed down to get a photo of Bartell’s crashed car, according to The Associated Press, and said the three of them got excited when they hit cars with rocks taken from a Walmart parking lot.

Karol-Chik also told investigators he and Koenig had thrown objects, including rocks and a statue, at cars on at least 10 other days. Kwak heard about their activities and asked to join the pair, according to The AP, citing an affidavit filed in the case.

Karol-Chik and Kwak told investigators different stories about who threw the rock that killed Bartell, according to the affidavit.