Prosecutors say the suspect was found in Wisconsin a day after the Feb. 4 killing.
OAK BROOK TERRACE, IL — A 19-year-old woman from Milwaukee has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man found inside a crashed vehicle in this Chicago suburb, and she remained jailed in Wisconsin as authorities sought to bring her back to Illinois for court.
DuPage County prosecutors said Akrystal C-Woods is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of Obaidulla F. Shareef, who was found shot Feb. 4 outside an office building near Interstate 88. The case drew attention across state lines after investigators traced the suspect back to Milwaukee and took her into custody in Wisconsin. The shooting remains under investigation, and officials have not publicly described a motive.
Police were called shortly after 6 p.m. Feb. 4 to a parking lot at 2 Trans Am Plaza in Oak Brook Terrace, according to authorities and court records. Shareef was found slumped in the driver’s seat of a vehicle after it struck another car, and he later was pronounced dead at a hospital. Investigators said the initial reports suggested the vehicle sped out of a garage area, jumped a curb and hit parked cars before coming to rest. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement that C-Woods was charged with murder in Shareef’s shooting death and that she would be returned to DuPage County for prosecution.
Prosecutors said officers located C-Woods in Wisconsin on Feb. 5 and took her into custody without incident. She remained held in Wisconsin while DuPage County pursued extradition, officials said. The Oak Brook Terrace police chief, Casey Calvello, credited a multi-agency effort, including DuPage MERIT and the Milwaukee Police Department, for quickly identifying and locating the suspect. “Fleeing to another state does not take a defendant out of the reach of law enforcement,” Berlin said, adding that Shareef’s family and friends had his condolences.
Investigators have released only limited information about what happened in the hours before the shooting, but court filings cited by media outlets described a timeline that began at a nearby hotel. Police found a receipt inside the victim’s vehicle and traced it to a hotel in the area, the filings said. At the hotel, a witness told investigators Shareef appeared nervous the day before about meeting two women he had connected with on the dating app Tinder, according to the records. The next day, as Shareef checked out, one of the women later identified as C-Woods accused him of taking $200 from her, the filings said. The argument escalated, and hotel staff told Shareef, C-Woods and another woman to leave the property, the filings said.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance video, social media and license-plate reader information while trying to identify the people with Shareef near the time of the killing, according to the filings. After leaving the hotel, Shareef’s vehicle and a second vehicle carrying two women were seen entering a parking garage about 1 1/2 miles away, the documents said. That garage was near where police later found Shareef in his vehicle, according to the records. Authorities have not publicly said whether they believe anyone else was involved in the shooting, and prosecutors have not announced charges against any other person.
In Milwaukee, investigators connected the second vehicle to an apartment complex on the city’s northwest side, according to the filings. Law enforcement executed search warrants at that complex on Feb. 5, the day after the shooting, the documents said. C-Woods and a man were taken into custody after a traffic stop in what investigators described as the suspect vehicle, according to the records. Officials have not said whether the man is considered a witness, a suspect, or neither, and he has not been charged in the Illinois case.
Even as prosecutors moved quickly to file charges, key details remained unclear. Authorities have not publicly described the type of firearm used, whether it has been recovered, or how many shots were fired. Investigators also have not said whether Shareef and C-Woods knew each other before the alleged meeting arranged through the dating app. Police and prosecutors have not released Shareef’s hometown, and some official statements did not include his age. A local report, citing court records, described him as 28, but officials have not confirmed that detail in their public announcements.
There has also been some confusion in records about C-Woods’ name. DuPage County officials identified the suspect as Akrystal C-Woods and listed her date of birth as July 14, 2006. A separate report based on Wisconsin court and jail records referred to her last name as Woods, while DuPage County court records showed C-Woods. Authorities have not explained the difference, but prosecutors have continued to use the hyphenated last name in public statements about the charges.
Under Illinois law, first-degree murder is among the most serious felony charges and can carry lengthy prison terms if a defendant is convicted. The three counts filed against C-Woods reflect the state’s charging approach in homicide cases, which can include multiple theories that prosecutors may later pursue at trial. The charges are accusations, and C-Woods is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case now turns on extradition and the early court process. DuPage County prosecutors said C-Woods’ next court appearance was scheduled for Feb. 10 in Milwaukee as part of the extradition proceedings. Once she is transferred to Illinois, she is expected to appear in DuPage County court, where a judge would address detention, the charging documents, and the next hearing dates. Authorities have not announced a trial schedule, and it is not clear when she might first appear in an Illinois courtroom.
Oak Brook Terrace is a small suburb west of Chicago with office parks and hotels clustered near major highways, including Interstate 88. The reported location of the shooting, 2 Trans Am Plaza, sits among commercial buildings and parking lots that can be busy during the workday and quieter in the evening. The Feb. 4 shooting happened near the start of the evening commute window, a time when drivers can still be moving through nearby roads and garages.
Officials have emphasized the speed of the investigation and the coordination between Illinois and Wisconsin agencies. Calvello said investigators used shared resources through DuPage MERIT to bring additional expertise to the case. Berlin also thanked several assistant state’s attorneys for what he described as work that secured “strong charges” against C-Woods. Those statements suggested prosecutors believe the evidence developed quickly after the shooting, though authorities have not publicly detailed what that evidence is.
On the ground, the known facts paint a scene that moved fast: a reported dispute at a hotel, two vehicles leaving the area, a short drive to a nearby garage and parking lot, and then a shooting followed by a crash. A witness account described a vehicle accelerating out of a garage area and striking objects before stopping. Police have not said whether the crash occurred immediately after the shooting or whether Shareef was shot earlier and then drove away. Investigators also have not said whether any surveillance video captured the shooting itself.
As detectives continue their work, Oak Brook Terrace police have asked anyone with information to contact the department. In its public statement, the agency directed tips to Detective Sgt. Jeffery Bryant. Authorities have said no additional information was available beyond the announcement of charges and extradition status.
For now, C-Woods remains in custody in Wisconsin, and DuPage County officials say they expect her return to Illinois to face the murder charges. Her next scheduled appearance in Milwaukee court is Feb. 10, as prosecutors continue steps to have her extradited to DuPage County.
Author note: Last updated February 12, 2026.