Illinois woman who allegedly ran over boyfriend with SUV arrested for attempted murder after he succumbs
HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS: Raquel Mendoza McCormick, a 48-year-old woman, has been arrested by authorities in Illinois after being charged with attempted murder after she had driven over her boyfriend with an SUV weeks ago. According to PEOPLE's confirmation, McCormick was taken into custody officially in Highland a day after her boyfriend, business owner Thomas Brankin, had succumbed to his injuries he had been inflicted upon on August 11. Police have revealed that McCormick had hit Brankin with her car after they had a "heated argument" with witnesses telling officials that McCormick kept telling Brankin to "get up" off the ground. They also said that Brankin was "really hurt."
The Chicago Tribune reported that according to Bradley Carter, Lake County Prosecutor’s office spokesman, the charges against McCormick could be "upgraded to murder" after the release of Brankin's autopsy. Court records indicate that McCormick was initially charged with "attempted murder/attempted intentional killing of another, the aggravated battery when the assault poses a substantial risk of death and domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon." The duo that had been together for over three years had been in an argument on August 11, when McCormick had allegedly driven over Brankin with her Chevrolet Equinox, having then left the scene, returning only a bit later.
It was when she had returned to the scene of where the alleged crime had taken place that McCormick had called 911 for emergency services. The publication further revealed that McCormick told officers that the duo had gone out to eat before the argument had ensued and she had wanted to leave but her boyfriend had "blocked her." She had then run him over. According to reports, McCormick also told police that her boyfriend was "challenging" her, asking her if she was going to hit him - this is also mentioned in court records.
Eyewitnesses further reported to police that they had witnessed the SUV "turn sharply" in Brankin's direction and he ended up hitting the hood of the car with his hands. McCormick, who had apparently backed up and stopped for a brief moment had then accelerated at a "high rate of speed" before a "crash/thud noise" was heard. The witnesses had also seen McCormick flee the scene before returning. The Chicago Tribune reported that Brankin had asked McCormick if she was going to hit him and she replied saying, "Yeah, I’m gonna hit you because you’re standing in front of me." When asked by a detective if she had moved forward and hit Brankin, McCormick confirmed that she had done so, but "not hard." She said that after she had pulled away, she had seen Brankin on the floor through the rear-view mirror, and when she had returned to his unconscious state, it had prompted her to call 911.
People reported that when McCormick was asked if her hurt boyfriend had said anything to her when she had returned to the scene, she had said, "He was just moaning ... and I'm like: 'Seriously, this is the way you wanna end this?'" When officers arrived at the scene, they had found Brankin unconscious with McCormick telling officials that she didn't require any help from officials or EMS services. This past Tuesday, Brankin, a volunteer assistant golf coach at Valparaiso University, died due to his injuries which according to reports included injuries to his eye sockets, along with fractures on his face, swelling, brain bleeding, and brainstem swelling.