Inspired by The Purge , an Indianapolis, Indiana, teenager went on a four-day crime spree that left at least three people dead. Jonathan Cruz , 19, is currently charged with 17 counts, including murder and armed robbery.
Cruz, also known as “Sav Hunna,” went on his crime rampage between May 12 and May 15 in several areas of Indianapolis. According to authorities, Cruz told friends he killed three people and chose victims completely at random.
“For those of you familiar with the movie The Purge the premise of that movie was for one night each year the government would allow citizens to commit any crime without fear of prosecution,” said Terry Curry, Marion County Prosecutor.
Man Accused in 3 Deaths Modeled on ‘The Purge’ https://t.co/MuPZzL2U06 pic.twitter.com/rNMsEpakTU
— Nightline (@Nightline) June 2, 2016
Allegedly, Cruz killed two men on May 12. First to die was Billy Boyd, who was shot twice in the head and found dead on North College Avenue. Shortly thereafter, Cruz shot Jay Higginbotham multiple times at his home.
On May 14, Cruz robbed cash and two cell phones from an unnamed victim. Police say Cruz committed the robbery with another man, 18-year-old Steven Clark.
Prosecutors believe Cruz was involved in the murder of Jose Ruiz on May 15. Around 4:30 a.m., Ruiz was found dead from gunshot wounds inside a parked car near the intersection of East Washington Street and North Linwood Avenue.
“We couldn’t really pinpoint why this was occurring,” said Chief Troy Riggs, IMPD. “We were very concerned we may have additional victims.”
Re murder charges for Jonathan Cruz-Here today because someone cooperated. This is a surprising case, shocking case pic.twitter.com/GOLiqfJh5C
— Chief Randal Taylor (@IMPD_Chief) June 1, 2016
Residents living in the area of the crimes were shocked by the Purge killer and feared for their own lives. Conor Dailey, who lives a short distance from North Linwood Avenue, said crimes like these are common occurrences in the area.
“Seems like the line between people’s reality and what they see on TV is so messed up now that people like him exist, going around hurting people for absolutely no reason,” Dailey said after being told the accused killer was copycatting the horror film.
“Hearing that it was just down the street and randomly picking people out, no I can’t go for that,” said another neighbor who wished to remain anonymous. “I’ll just be protecting what’s mine. And if they come here they’re not going to leave.” Cruz was arrested on May 16 for various charges, including criminal confinement, kidnapping, intimidation, and battery before authorities linked him to the Purge -style crime spree. The kidnapping victim informed cops that Cruz was the one killing and robbing people on the east side of Indianapolis.
Investigators were able to further connect Cruz to the crimes through victim statements and witnesses. One person alerted police after Cruz tried to show her a video of one of the shootings.
Police found explicit photos and videos documenting the shootings as well as gang-related activities on a cellphone seized from Cruz on the day of his arrest. In addition, several text messages, including one stating, “I purge every night now,” were discovered.
Reportedly, Cruz took screenshots of news stories about the crimes and sent them to his mother as well as other people via Facebook Messenger. His mother responded to one of the messages by offering to set him up a hotel in another state. She also advised him to change his appearance and remove his Facebook account.
In addition to the charges, a criminal gang enhancement has been filed, which could potentially double the sentence if Cruz is convicted. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty, reports Fox 59 .
During the investigation, police uncovered two guns and evidence that Jonathan Cruz was planning to flee the area soon after the crimes. With a bond set at $200,000, the alleged Purge killer is due in court on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
[Photo by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department/AP Images]
