March 28 (UPI) -- Christian Ivan Soto, the man who authorities say allegedly killed four people in Rockford, Ill., Wednesday in an attack using a knife, a baseball bat and a vehicle, was charged with multiple counts of murder Thursday.
The coroner's office identified the deceased victims as 15-year-old Jenna Newcomb; 23-year-old Jacob Schupbach; 49-year-old Jay Larson, and 63-year-old Romona Schupbach.
Soto is charged with four counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of home invasion with a deadly weapon.
Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley said more charges could result when the case goes to a grand jury.
Soto admitted the killing rampage in interviews with detectives, according to police, but blamed smoking marijuana laced with an unknown drug for the rampage.
According to police, Soto killed four people and injured five.
Hanley said that, as officers were responding to multiple reports of crime scenes, the Rockford Fire Department was flagged down by a female who reported additional injuries on Rockford's Cleveland Avenue, where officers found two injured juvenile females. One juvenile female was found deceased in a basement.
The victims said they were attacked in a basement by Soto, who they said was wielding a baseball bat. One of the wounded victims said Soto was covered in blood when he broke into the house.
Hanley said Soto allegedly attacked a woman in another house with a knife, injuring the victim as she fled. She survived the attack.
"A passer-by, Keith Fahreny, was driving by in his gray Jeep and saw this happening," Hanley said during Thursday's press briefing. "He stopped to intervene and Soto began to attack him with the knife, also causing multiple injuries."
Hanley said Soto entered Fahreny's Jeep in an attempt to steal it.
But Fahreny pulled Soto from the Jeep while allegedly still being attacked with the knife. Police arrived as the incident was happening and took Soto into custody.
Hanley said Soto told police he beat up and stabbed a mailman and hit him with a truck. When he saw police arrive, he said he ran to the home where he invaded it and attacked the juvenile females with a bat.
Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said during a press briefing that arriving deputies chased and apprehended Soto after the attacks.
Caruana expressed "heartfelt sorrow for the community."
In a statement from the White House on Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden said he and his wife, Jill, were "horrified" to learn about the incident.
"My administration will do everything in its power to help the people of Rockford and the broader community recover from this traumatic event," Biden said, adding that the incident "is a reminder that we must continue to ensure that our police and first responders have the support they need to do their jobs and keep us safe."
