By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times
Timothy Ward | Cook County sheriff's office
A 26-year-old northwest suburban man was ordered held without bond Friday, charged with shooting Charzelle Hayes to death in North Lawndale last year.
Cook County prosecutors didn’t explain what started the argument, but said that Timothy Ward was standing outside a van he had been riding in with eight other people when Hayes and others came up to him and his friends in the 3500 block of West Grenshaw.
Minutes before on that morning of July 18, 2015, the van, driven by Ward’s wife, had stopped in front of a home there because some passengers wanted to use the bathroom, Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Howroyd said in court.
At some point, someone from Hayes’ group punched one of the occupants of the van who had been standing outside with Ward, Howroyd said. That’s when Ward allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot the 25-year-old Hayes.
Ward and the others then jumped back into the van and drove off, Howroyd said.
Hayes, shot in the arm and chest, was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Shortly after the shooting, police stopped the van and found a revolver containing seven expended shell casings, a holster and a box of ammunition under the front passenger seat where Ward had been sitting, Howroyd said.
Officers also lifted a fingerprint off a tray inside the ammunition box, which was later identified as Ward’s, Howroyd said.
Tests taken at the Illinois State Police crime lab later revealed the gun from the van was the weapon used to kill Hayes, Howroyd said.
He did not say why police didn’t arrest Ward the day of the shooting.
Ward eventually fled to Tennessee where he was recently picked up for a parole violation.
The Carpentersville resident, who is married with children, admitted to Chicago Police detectives that he killed Hayes, authorities said.
Ward has two previous convictions for robbery and aggravated battery to a police officer.
He used to work at convenience store and Pizza Nation in Schaumburg, according to his assistant public defender.