Woman charged in West Side murder of Uber Eats driver

A Maywood woman is expected in court Wednesday, accused of fatally dragging an Uber Eats driver with his delivery van which she allegedly stole after he'd delivered food to a doctor at Loretto Hospital on the city's West Side.

The doctor walked outside in front of the hospital after noticing on his app his driver was still in the area and he spotted Daniel L. Figueroa, 28, lying in the street, according to a police report.

Montoya Perry, 33, is scheduled for a detention hearing later Wednesday at the Leighton Criminal Court building, charged with murder and vehicular hijacking in the death of Figueroa, police said.

Figueroa, 28, was in the 5500 block of West Flournoy Street when he was attacked about 2:10 a.m. Monday, police said.

Figueroa, of the west suburbs, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:46 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. A cause and manner of his death was not immediately known. An autopsy Tuesday was inconclusive and pending further studies, the office said.

“We’re incredibly saddened by this tragic loss, and our thoughts are with their family and loved ones as they navigate this unimaginably difficult time," an emailed statement from Uber said. "We’ve reached out to police and will assist them however we can.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Loretto Hospital said it was aware of the "tragic incident" and that hospital officials are fully cooperating with local law enforcement.

"On behalf of Loretto Hospital, our prayers and condolences go out to the individual’s family and loved ones," the spokesperson said. "Our focus remains on supporting the safety, health, and well-being of the community we serve during this difficult time."