Dylan Jaimes : “Four Charged with Attempted Murder in Lincoln County Shooting”

SIOUX FALLS — Four individuals, three from Sioux Falls and one from Pennsylvania, are now facing attempted murder charges in relation to a shooting incident that occurred in April, leaving a 24-year-old victim with a bullet lodged in his brain.

The Lincoln County prosecutors have recently filed attempted murder charges against Victor Rios, Antonio Hacker, Danai Cha, all residents of Sioux Falls, and Rakeem Fitzgerald from Pennsylvania. Rios faces an additional count of attempted murder, while the other three have been charged with accessory to a felony.

The charges stem from an incident on April 30th around 10 p.m., when a passerby discovered a Pontiac G6 in a ditch along 469th Avenue in rural Sioux Falls. The driver, identified as 20-year-old Dylan Jaimes, had sustained a gunshot wound to the head. A juvenile male passenger informed authorities that the shooter had fled the scene in a Toyota Corolla.

Court documents reveal that Jaimes had a bullet lodged in his brain but was conscious and able to communicate with law enforcement at a hospital in Sioux Falls.

According to Jaimes’ account to Lincoln County deputies, he and the juvenile passenger had dinner at the Thirsty Duck and began following a Toyota Corolla upon leaving the establishment. The reason for following the vehicle was not disclosed by Jaimes, but he mentioned that the Corolla eventually pulled over, and three masked individuals shot at him.

However, the juvenile passenger provided a different version of events to the police, stating that Jaimes started following the Corolla after its occupants stole marijuana without payment.

Prosecutors allege that the two vehicles continued to follow each other through Sioux Falls, with Jaimes eventually turning southbound on 269th Street to drive away from the Corolla. Somehow, the Corolla caught up with Jaimes’ G6 on 269th Street, passed it, and stopped in the roadway. The juvenile claimed that the passenger, later identified as Victor Rios, exited the vehicle and shot Jaimes.

Approximately seven hours after Jaimes was shot, a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper discovered the disabled Corolla on Interstate 229 near Benson Road. The trooper noted that the license plates had been tampered with to conceal the vehicle’s identity, and a window had been shattered.

After contacting the registered owner, who mentioned that Hacker had been using the vehicle, authorities found that Rios, Danai Cha, and Rakeem Jeffries had all been together in the Corolla during a traffic stop on May 2. Subsequent investigations during the stop led to the discovery of drugs, resulting in the arrest of the three individuals.

All three suspects had their cell phones confiscated during the arrest but were later released on bail without their potential involvement in Jaimes’ shooting being known to the authorities.

Three days following the shooting, investigators learned that Hacker was employed at a Walmart in Sioux Falls. During questioning, Hacker denied any involvement in the shooting and claimed to have lost his phone. However, authorities found Hacker’s phone hidden in a bin at the Walmart.

Data extraction from all four phones, combined with surveillance footage, allegedly confirmed that the suspects had left Hacker’s apartment and traveled to the Thirsty Duck parking lot just 25 minutes before the shooting occurred.

In a public GoFundMe campaign launched by Jaimes’ sister, the family disclosed that the shooting had resulted in significant brain damage for Jaimes, with the bullet lodged in a manner that precludes its removal.

“Dylan has suffered extensive brain damage. The bullet went through his skull and lodged into his brain, in such a way that removing it is not an option,” the fundraiser stated. “The location of his injury will impact his cognitive function, memory, behaviors, and many other essential aspects necessary for leading a ‘normal’ life.”

Court documents indicated that the bullet was lodged in Jaimes’ frontal lobe, a region that experts say controls voluntary movement and expressive language. The frontal lobe is also responsible for planning, organizing, initiating actions, self-monitoring, and controlling responses to achieve goals.

“Dylan is no longer the same person he was just a few days ago; this incident has dramatically altered his life forever,” the fundraiser continued. “He faces a long and arduous road to recovery.”

Following the issuance of warrants, Rios, Hacker, and Cha were apprehended by authorities. As of Friday, Fitzgerald remained at large, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Each of the four suspects faces at least one count of attempted murder, carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.