Family and neighbors say the driver was attacked during an apparent vehicle theft early Monday.
CHICAGO, IL — A 28-year-old Uber Eats delivery driver was found dead early Monday on the West Side near Loretto Hospital, and investigators are treating the case as a homicide after witnesses and relatives said he was attacked during an apparent attempt to steal his vehicle.
Police found Daniel L. Figueroa unresponsive about 2 a.m. in the 5500 block of West Flournoy Street in the Austin area, near Central Avenue and steps from the hospital. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead. By late Monday, police said no one was in custody, and key details about what happened in the moments before his death remained under investigation.
Figueroa had been working overnight to bring in extra money, relatives and his girlfriend said, taking food orders after finishing another shift. Neighbors said hospital employees commonly order deliveries during third shift hours. Investigators have not publicly identified suspects or said whether surveillance video captured the attack, but police and family members said they are working to piece together a timeline that begins at the hospital entrance and ends on a nearby residential street.
According to accounts shared by relatives and neighbors, Figueroa had just completed a delivery at Loretto Hospital when someone confronted him as he returned to his vehicle parked along West Flournoy Street. Alexander Redd, who lives nearby, said he was told two people tried to take the vehicle and that Figueroa was dragged down the street during the struggle. “He was just doing his job,” Redd said. “He didn’t deserve that at all.” Police did not confirm those specific details, but said they were conducting a homicide investigation.
Investigators have indicated the death may not have involved gunfire. A preliminary police account described a major head injury, and early reports passed among neighbors said the victim appeared to be bleeding from the head. Authorities have not released an official cause of death, and a medical examiner review and other testing were expected to guide the final determination. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Daniel L. Figueroa, 28, of Westmont. Some relatives and friends described him as being from the Downers Grove area.
The death triggered a wide police response that spilled onto nearby roadways at the start of the morning commute. The ramp from the outbound Eisenhower Expressway to Central Avenue was shut down for hours as officers secured the scene and investigators examined the area. West Flournoy Street runs along the hospital campus and nearby homes and apartments, creating a corridor where deliveries are common at night and early morning, neighbors said.
Police have not publicly said whether Figueroa’s vehicle was taken, but investigators have treated the possibility as central to the case. A police report referenced a missing minivan, and investigators were working to determine who was driving it after police systems began registering license plate reader alerts in other parts of the city while officers were still at the scene. Authorities have not said whether the vehicle was recovered or whether any evidence was found inside it.
Family members said the killing hit them with little warning and left them searching for answers. Figueroa’s girlfriend, Sandra Guerrero, said she last saw him Sunday night after he got off work and planned to complete deliveries before coming home. “I shouldn’t have to picture my boyfriend like that,” Guerrero said, describing the shock of learning he had died. She said she heard from his family early Monday morning that he had not made it back.
Guerrero said Figueroa worked multiple jobs and was the kind of person who tried to take care of others, including her young son. They had planned to celebrate her son’s birthday, she said, but instead the day turned into a gathering shaped by grief. “I’m confused. I’m lost. I’m sad,” Guerrero said. Relatives and friends described Figueroa as outgoing and family-focused, someone who enjoyed fishing and art and who made time for the people closest to him despite long work hours.
Figueroa’s father, Carlos Figueroa, said his son was the youngest of his children and that the family is struggling to accept that a routine delivery could turn deadly. He said he wants the people responsible to be found and held accountable. He also said he fears the suspects may be teenagers, a concern echoed in neighborhood conversations after the killing, though police have not described the age or number of suspects publicly.
Loretto Hospital issued a statement acknowledging the death near its campus and offering condolences to the family. Emerald-Jane Hunter, a hospital spokesperson, said the hospital was cooperating with law enforcement and focused on community safety. “Our prayers and condolences go out to the individual’s family and loved ones,” Hunter said in an email, adding that the hospital would continue to support the neighborhood during the investigation.
Uber confirmed Figueroa was delivering for Uber Eats and said the company had contacted investigators. In a statement, Uber said it was saddened by the loss and would assist police. Company representatives did not say whether Figueroa had contacted support or reported any safety concerns before the attack, and police have not described any emergency call or alert originating from the delivery app.
On the blocks around West Flournoy Street, residents said the case renewed familiar worries about late-night thefts and violence. Redd said neighbors have become more watchful, using doorbell cameras and checking outside before stepping out. He said people in the area were talking about how quickly a simple trip to deliver food could become dangerous, especially in the early morning hours when streets are quiet and fewer witnesses are outside.
Even with those concerns, residents also described the steady stream of hospital traffic and overnight workers as a reason deliveries keep coming. Neighbors said staff on overnight shifts often order meals around the same time police were called. That pattern, they said, means delivery drivers regularly stop near the hospital entrance and along adjacent curbs, sometimes leaving vehicles running for quick handoffs, and sometimes walking to doors that face dimly lit side streets.
Investigators were expected to focus on reconstructing Figueroa’s movements from the time he arrived near Loretto Hospital until he was found in the street. Police have not said whether the delivery was to a staff member, a doctor, or another recipient, and they have not described any direct witness to the confrontation. Authorities also have not said whether they have a suspect vehicle, recovered property, or fingerprints or other forensic evidence linked to a theft attempt.
As of early Tuesday, police had not announced arrests or released suspect descriptions. A final medical examiner ruling and any recovered video, license plate reader data, or cellphone location records could shape the next steps, including possible charges tied to homicide and vehicle theft. For now, the case remains an open homicide investigation, with detectives working to confirm what led to Figueroa’s fatal injuries and whether more than one person took part.
Author note: Last updated February 24, 2026.