Springfield, Illinois – At approximately 8:12 p.m.,  on February 3, 2024, Sangamon County Deputies responded to a report of a person down in the roadway at the mobile home park located at 1236 North Oaklane Road. A resident of the mobile home park discovered a person lying in the road. Riverton Fire Department responded to the scene and determined the individual was deceased, and suffered injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle. Investigation led Deputies to the identity of the 36 y/ female victim. 

Deputies were able to follow a trail of blood back to the roadway in front of Lot 131. Witnesses on scene reported a blue Jeep as possibly being involved.  Investigation led Deputies to potential occupants of that trailer, and an associated blue 2019 Jeep. Based on this information, 53 year-old Steven Mehundrew was identified as a suspect.

At approximately 10:18 p.m., Mehundrew’s vehicle was located by a license plate reader camera at Dirksen Parkway and Clearlake Avenue. Deputies and Springfield Police Officers responded to the area and quickly located Mehundrew’s vehicle, and conducted a traffic stop in the 2400 block of East South Grand Avenue. Mehundrew was taken into custody and transported to the Sheriff’s Office. Suspected blood was located on Mehundrew’s 2019 blue Jeep, and it was seized as evidence. 

Mehundrew was taken to the Sangamon County Jail after being interviewed by detectives.

Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon identified the female victim struck by the motor vehicle as Alexandria Estrada, 36, of Springfield. He informed us that she was pronounced deceased at the scene. Coroner Allmon conducted an autopsy, and preliminary findings suggested that Ms. Estrada died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in a pedestrian versus motor vehicle incident.

Mehundrew has since been charged by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office with failure to report a crash that resulted in a death, a Class 1 felony, two counts of aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm, also Class 1 felonies, and a crash injury resulting in a death, a Class 4 felony. The Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office has asked a judge to keep Mehundrew in custody and deny him pre-trial release, but as of the time of this article, it has not yet been determined if the judge will hold Mehundrew.

According to social media accounts, Mehundrew and Estrada were in a relationship. Additionally, Sheriff Campbell has confirmed to us that they lived together.

This matter remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office and the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office.