A 19-year-old Colorado teen, Zachary Kwak, recently pleaded guilty to his involvement in a deadly rock-throwing spree that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old woman in Denver last year. Kwak, along with two other teens, Joseph Koenig and Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, threw rocks at several cars, resulting in injuries to multiple drivers and ultimately leading to the death of Alexa Bartell. The incident occurred on April 19, 2023, with the three suspects throwing rocks at six different vehicles throughout the night. Kwak pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and criminal attempt to commit assault as part of a plea deal. He will serve a sentence of no less than 20 years and no more than 32 years.
The trio of teens initially made plans to meet up, drove to Walmart together, and picked up landscaping rocks to use in their attacks. They then proceeded to throw rocks at passing vehicles, including Bartell’s, resulting in her tragic death just before 11 p.m. Bartell was on the phone with a friend at the time of the incident, and her friend heard her abruptly stop talking. The suspects were driving at high speeds at the time of the attack, and after realizing the damage caused to Bartell’s vehicle, they turned back around to observe the aftermath, with Kwak even taking a photo of the scene.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Koenig declared the group “blood brothers” after Bartell’s death, and Karol-Chik reported that Kwak became excited when hitting a vehicle with a rock. Despite denying his involvement to investigators initially, cellphone data was used to identify Kwak and Koenig as the only suspects accused of throwing the fatal rock. Bartell’s friend used a phone-finder app to track her location, leading to the discovery of her stationary vehicle in a field off Indiana Street in Jefferson County. Following this discovery, police were called, and the suspects were eventually apprehended.
Kwak’s guilty plea was emotional for Bartell’s family, who was present in the courtroom during the proceedings. Kwak’s admission of guilt led to visible tears from Bartell’s family, who offered no comments as they left the courthouse. Despite Kwak’s denial of throwing the fatal rock during initial interviews, he ultimately accepted responsibility for his actions. The cases against Koenig and Karol-Chik are still ongoing, with all three initially being charged with first-degree murder with extreme indifference.
Investigators revealed that the trio had been engaging in rock-throwing activities at moving vehicles for approximately two months leading up to the fatal incident. Kwak’s guilty plea and imminent sentencing serve as a reminder of the tragic consequences of their reckless actions, resulting in the loss of a young woman’s life. As the legal proceedings continue for Koenig and Karol-Chik, the community remains impacted by the senseless violence that occurred as a result of their actions.
