Authorities charge suspect in shooting that killed 24-year-old Maya Smith in Joliet

48-year-old Jermaine Mandley charged in shooting death of Joliet mom

JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) -- A man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a 24-year-old woman who was found shot to death in a car in Joliet over the weekend.

Joliet police announced Tuesday night that Jermaine Mandley, 48, of Bolingbrook, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting that killed Maya Smith.

Around 12:21 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a parking complaint in an alley west of the 1200 block of Clement Street in Joliet.

They found Smith dead in the front seat of the vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Her 2-year-old daughter was in the back seat, unharmed.

 An autopsy determined Smith died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Maya Smith, 24, was found shot and killed inside a car in Joliet. Her 2-year-old daughter was found unharmed in the back seat. Legal Help Firm

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.

Mandley was found on the Southeast Side of Chicago on Tuesday, and was apprehended around 6 p.m. His bond was set at $5 million by a Will County judge.

"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."

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