Natalia Chi
CHICAGO — The woman who vandalized the memorial to the murder of Chicago police officer Ella French at the Thompson Center was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a reduced charge, court records show.
Anna Kochakian, 27, was initially facing a felony charge of criminal damage to the monument, but on Friday, prosecutors ordered her to face misdemeanor criminal damage in exchange for two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. agreed to plead guilty to
The Frenchman was shot dead during a traffic stop on August 7, 2021. Her partner Carlos Yanez nearly died but continues to recover.
On August 19, less than two weeks after the shooting, Kochaquia went to the Thompson Center to renew his driver’s license, prosecutors said. Later, Kochakian found a monument to the French in the building’s atrium.
According to prosecutors, Kochakian approached the memorial, took out a photo of the Frenchman, smashed it with his hands while recording her actions on video, and later posted it on social media.
“I became a wife once, but I kept walking without looking back.” [with] .
Another tweet, accompanied only by a “satisfied” emoji, showed a wrinkled photo of the Frenchman sitting inside a CTA trash can.
Officials said Kochakian was found after posting on social media and using his Ventra card at L station. Surveillance footage from CTA showed a clear image of the tattoo on her arm.
According to an Illinois State Police press release issued at the time, Chicago used Yanez’s handcuffs when arresting Kochakian in February 2022.
Kochakian’s online presence indicates that she was a graduate of DePaul University and actively promoted communism in the city.
Court records show that Judge Diana Kenworthy ordered that animals be involved in Kochakian’s 100 hours of community service at the request of French’s family.
Emonte Morgan is charged with murdering a Frenchman and shooting Yanez. His brother Eric Morgan, who was driving the car that the police stopped, faces gun and obstruction charges. They are both in jail without bail as they await trial.
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