Violent, Murderous,Theiving, ENGLEWOOD

POPULATION-30,000

RACIAL MAKE-UP- 98% BLACK

CRIME IN ENGLEWOOD 2011

HOMICIDES- 41

AGGRAVATED BATTERY- 551

SIMPLE BATTERY- 3060

ROBBERY- 729

CRIMINAL SEX ASSAULT- 76

ARSON- 23

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT- 304

SIMPLE ASSAULT- 845

BURGLARY- 1222

AUTO THEFT- 653

THEFTS- 2206 

WEAPON VIOLATIONS- 317

PROSTITUTION ARRESTS- 159

DRUG ARRESTS-1895

TOTAL REPORTED CRIME-15,767



MORE ON THIS YEARS ENGLWOOD FUN FEST HERE- "CASH CAB" HELD UP IN ENGLEWOOD AND HERE- Bed and Breakfast in Englewood (Experience beautiful Englewood) AND HERE-   XDISTRICT 07

Humbolt Park mark accused of 4 robberies in 3 weeks

A Humboldt Park neighborhood man is expected in court Friday after police say he was nabbed while riding a bicycle shortly after robbing his fourth business in three weeks.

 Angel Hernandez-Luna, 21, of the 1600 block of North Spaulding Avenue, was charged for four separate aggravated robberies from Sept. 10 through Wednesday.

 Hernandez-Luna allegedly used a replica pistol during the robberies of two Walgreens — one in the 3100 block of West Irving Park Road and the other in the 4000 block of West Irving Park Road. He also robbed a Dunkin’ Donuts in the 5000 block of West Irving Park Road and, on Wednesday night, a 7-Eleven in the 3500 block of North Cicero Avenue.

 He was arrested Wednesday at 11:19 p.m. in the 3200 block of North Kilpatrick shortly after the 7-Eleven holdup.

 Investigators had been passing out flyers of the suspect’s picture following the first three robberies and police learned someone fitting that description was riding a bicycle on Kilpatrick

Loop bank robbed for third time in two months

A Loop bank branch was robbed Friday morning for the third time since August.

 A man in his 40s wearing beige clothing entered the Chicago Community Bank branch at 52 E. Lake St. at 9:30 a.m. and handed a teller a threatening note that demanded money.

 “He implied he had a weapon,’’.

 The teller complied and the suspect fled of foot eastbound on Lake Street, the lieutenant said. No one was hurt.

 The suspect, a black man, was wearing a beige military-style cap, beige jacket and shirt, and dark jeans, Guerrero said.

 It was not immediately known whether a dye pack or GPS chip was included in the proceeds.

 At least two other robberies occurred at that branch.

 On Sept. 6, about 3:05 p.m. a man walked into the bank, demanded money and fled.

 Another robbery occurred at 9:20 a.m. Aug. 12 by a man wearing a tie. The suspect handed the teller a note demanding money and pointed a handgun wrapped in a newspaper.There were no dye packs with the money.

 That robber was described as a black man about 30, with a slim build, wearing a black baseball cap, black shirt and pants, gold or beige tie and sunglasses. He was about 5-foot-8 and carrying a backpack.

2 men shot in Austin neighborhood

Two men were reported shot in what was believed to be an attempted robbery this afternoon in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.
Fire officials were called to the area of Chicago and Leamington Avenues before 2:30 p.m. where two people had been reported shot, according to a Fire Department spokesman. He had no further information.
Two men, one believed to be in his 30s, the other believed to be in his 40s, were shot about 2;15 p.m. in the 800 block of North Leamington Avenue in what was believed to have been an attempted armed robbery.
BEAT 1531

Moseley Braun campaign fails to document spending

The Chicago mayoral campaign of former U.S. Sen. Carole Moseley Braun has failed to document how $315,000 in campaign funds was spent.
The Illinois Board of Elections has been unsuccessful in getting either Braun or her now-defunct campaign to explain the spending, the Sun-Times is reporting.
In an April 15 filing, Braun reported raising $323,000 and spending $315,000, but didn't itemize expenditures over $150.
The penalties for running afoul of campaign laws include fines and a ban on seeking office.
Braun says campaign treasurer Billie Paige, a Springfield lobbyist, was responsible for filing the report.
Paige said she resigned from the campaign the day the disclosure form was filed. She said she notified Braun and others the report "would need to be amended to reflect all expenditures and debts."

Man dies after driving into building

Chicago Police say a 42-year-old man died after his car ran into a building near Madison Street and Laramie Avenue at about 2 a.m. this morning.
Tyrone Saunders, 42, of the 4900 block of West Ferdinand Street, was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital at 2:42 a.m

Teen killed by freight train on Far South Side

The teenage girl who was hit Thursday afternoon by a freight train on the Far South Side and killed was identified this morning as Erica Frye, 17, of the 5000 block of South Laflin Street.
She was hit by a train near 115th Street and Perry Avenue about 5 p.m. and taken in serous-to-critical conditon to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she died shortly before 6 p.m.
The northbound train had about 130 cars, and there are gates and lights at the nearest crossing.

3 SHOT IN WEST AUSTIN

A teenage boy and two men were injured Wednesday afternoon in a shooting in the West Side Austin neighborhood. One of the men remains in “guarded” condition early Thursday.

 About 2:50 p.m., two men and a 17-year-old boy were in a Cadillac near 101 S. Cicero Ave. when a van drove by and someone inside fired multiple rounds at them.

 Officials think the shooting stemmed from a personal dispute between the three victims and the shooter, but that they were not cooperating with authorities and would not name the gunman.

 A 21-year-old man shot in the upper back during the attack was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he remains in “guarded” condition, police said. A 28-year-old man was treated and released from John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital

for a graze wound to the back while a 17-year-old boy was grazed in the right thigh and left arm. He refused medical treatment.

BEAT 1113

Two men shot on North Drake Avenue

Two men were shot in the 800 block of North Drake Avenue in Chicago at about 7:30 p.m..
A 26-year-old was shot in his torso and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital and a 24-year-old was shot in his buttocks and groin and was transported to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
Three other men approached the two and opened fire while they were standing on a sidewalk, police said. It’s not clear what prompted the shooting.
BEAT 1121

29-year-old man shot on West Flournoy

A 29-year-old man was shot several times in his legs after an argument with another man he knew in the 4300 block of West Flournoy Street.
He was transported to Mount Sinai hospital, and police said he’s expected to live.
BEAT 1132

Man shot dead in Burnside neighborhood

A man in his 20s died late Wednesday night after being shot in the 9400 block of South Avalon Avenue in the city's Burnside neighborhood.
The man, whose identity wasn't available Thursday morning, was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:25 p.m..
About 10 p.m., police responded to a call about an accident in the 9300 block of South Avalon Avenue. Witnesses told police they heard a vehicle traveling at a high-rate of speed before a crash.
Apparently, the victim was shot and crashed into a parked vehicle before driving on the 9400 block of South Avalon Avenue where he crashed into a wooded area, police said. The victim was driving a 2005 Volkswagen Passat.
UPDATE: The Cook County medical examiner's office this morning identified a man found shot in the head Wednesday night in the city's Burnside neighborhood as Lenwood Heason, 32, of the 1200 block of East 168th Street in South Holland.
BEAT 413

Jury finds man guilty of murder in officer's slaying

A Cook County jury tonight convicted a reputed gang member charged in the 2009 murder of a Chicago police officer.
After deliberating for nearly 2 1/2 hours, the jury found Shawn Gaston, 22, guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the fatal shooting of Officer Alejandro “Alex” Valadez, 27.
Prosecutors have said that Gaston was out for revenge early on June 1, 2009, after he and other alleged gang members were shot at by rivals in the 6000 block of South Hermitage Avenue. Valadez was investigating that shooting when Gaston and the others allegedly returned in his mother's car a few minutes later and fired several shots, killing Valadez, prosecutors said.
Valadez's partner, Officer Thomas Vargas, testified last week that he dove to the ground when he heard the shots and saw Valadez fall after he was hit. Vargas was not injured.
Two co-defendants also charged in the murder will be tried later.
On Tuesday, prosecutors played a 20-minute videotaped statement from Gaston in which he admitted firing from a car “like, four times.” Prosecutors acknowledged that Gaston was not told that a police officer had been shot before he made his admissions.
Gaston said in the recording that they then ditched the gun under a porch and parked the car near his mother's house a few blocks from the shooting. He was at a party on his neighbor's porch drinking tequila about an hour later when police arrested him.
Police later found three guns -- a .357-caliber revolver, a .40-caliber handgun and a rifle -- in the car's trunk, prosecutors said. The shots that struck Valadez were fired from the revolver, prosecutors said.

Man shot in Belmont Gardens neighborhood

Just before 9 p.m., a man was shot in the leg in the 2400 block of North Lowell Avenue in the Belmont Gardens neighborhood.
BEAT 2522

16-year-old boy shot in Pisen

A 16-year-old boy, was shot in Chicago on Wednesday.
The teen was shot just before 6:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of West 17th Street, about a block from his home in the city's Pilsen neighborhood.
BEAT 1222

2-year-old shot in mob brawl in S. Philly

A critically wounded 2-year-old girl was among four people shot Tuesday night in South Philadelphia when a mob of girls charged a house and gunfire erupted in a dispute stemming from a high school fight, police said.
A 10-year-boy and a 59-year-old woman, who live in the same house as the toddler, also were wounded and were hospitalized in stable condition. A 25-year-old man was shot in the finger.
Police were called at 7:31 p.m. to the 1200 block of South Bucknell Street in response to a report of a melee and gunfire.
The 2-year-old was shot in the stomach and hip areas and in a hand, police said. The boy was shot in the right calf. Both were being treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The woman was shot in the left leg, police said. She was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
The gunman was described as black, 25 to 30 years old, weighing about 210 pounds and standing about six feet tall, police said. He was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a fitted baseball cap. He was last seen running south on Bucknell.
Police spokesman Lt. Raymond Evers said a fight among girls at South Philadelphia High School led to another altercation and, ultimately, the shooting.
Some of the girls from the high school fight showed up at the house of another girl on Bucknell, Evers said. "The girls were pushing into the house," Evers said.
Some neighbors got involved, and one girl called an unidentified man, Evers said. A group of men arrived at the scene and the fighting escalated. Two men pulled out guns and one of them began firing
READ MORE HERE: PHILLY.COM.

Woman tries to rob Lincoln Park drug store with fake grenade

Police arrested a woman who tried to hold up a Lincoln Park drug store with a phony hand grenade.
Several employees at Braun Drugs managed to subdue the 26-year-old woman until police arrived and arrested her.
The incident happened at about 3:40 p.m. Tuesday at the drug store in the 2000 block of North Clark Street.
Police said that the desheveled-looking Chicago woman waited for customers to leave the store before she approached several store employees at the pharmacy counter.
She then pulled the fake grenade and demanded cash, police said. But the employees grabbed the woman and held her until Near North District officers arrived and took her into custody,

Two Chicago Police Officers are being considered for life-saving awards

Two Chicago Police officers are being considered for life-saving awards after they pulled a man out of a burning van early Saturday on the Near West Side, officials said.

“They were in the right place at the right time,” said their supervisor, Monroe District Capt. Hootan Bahmandeji. “If they weren’t there, this guy probably would have died.”

Monroe District officers Ken Carlyon and Monica Perez saw the flames, rushed over, and pulled a 31-year-old South Side man early Saturday out of a burning Chevrolet Express van that crashed into a median at Morgan and Harrison. The man suffered smoke inhalation but declined to be taken to a hospital, Bahmandeji said.

“They did a great job, they saved this guy’s life,” Bahmandeji said of the officers.

Jury hears videotaped statement from accused cop killer: ‘I did the shooting’

Accused cop killer Shawn Gaston admitted he pulled the trigger the morning Alejandro “Alex” Valadez was shot, a top Cook County prosecutor testified Tuesday.

Assistant state’s attorney Fabio Valentini said he never informed the South Side man a Chicago Police officer was hit in the June 1, 2009 shooting.

But Valentini said Gaston casually told him he shot four rounds in the direction where the plain-clothed Englewood district officer had been standing in the 6000 block of South Hermitage.

Valadez, 27, died hours after the bullets pierced his thigh and left ear.

“I did the shooting,” Gaston said matter-of-factly in a 15-minute videotaped statement assistant state’s attorney Jeffrey Allen presented to the jury hearing the case against Gaston in Judge Jorge Alonso’s courtroom.

Gaston said he and his best friend Kevin Walker had just finished getting matching tattoos from a “big fat white dude” when the gray Pontiac G6 they were traveling in was shot at ten times.

Gaston retrieved a 9mm weapon he hid in a neighbor’s back porch and told Walker they were “fitting to go right back” and avenge their attack, Gaston said on videotape.

He then directed Walker to drive back to the South Hermitage address.

“I told him [Walker] to slow down. I’d seen people standing right there, and I shot them,” Gaston, 22, said on camera.

“Right there,” according to prosecutors, was where Valadez had been talking to Englewood resident Kelvin Thomas while following up on the shots fired that had irked Gaston just five minutes earlier.

Gaston said he and some “n------” on Hermitage had been fighting for a while but told Valentini and a detective it wasn’t a gang-related dispute.

Gaston had confessed hours before he agreed to be videotaped and used his right hand to make a shooting motion, said Valentini, chief of the State’s Attorney’s Office Criminal Bureau.

READ MORE HERE: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
BEAT 714

Man in custody after carjacking SUV, crashing into building

A man suspected of a carjacking an SUV on the Near Northwest Side on Tuesday morning is in custody at a hospital after crashing it into a building while attempting to flee police.

A man took a black Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV about 10:30 a.m. on the 2300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.

Officers saw the Trailblazer about noon near Diversey and Sacramento, and took the man into custody, but not before he attempted to flee. The man crashed the SUV into a bus and a building, and he still tried to get away from police.

Officers were forced to Taser the suspect in order to subdue him.

The suspect was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center for precautionary reasons, Sullivan said. No one on the bus was injured.

Man critically injured in Park Manor shooting

A man was critically injured after being shot in the face in the Park Manor neighorhood.
The shooting occurred at about 2:38 p.m. on the 6700 block of South Cottage Grove.
The man was taken in critical condition to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. He was shot in the face.
BEAT 321

Man critically injured in shooting near Washington Park

A man was in critical condition after he was shot near Washington Park this afternoon.
The shooting happened at about 4:12 p.m. on the 6000 block of south Vernon Avenue.
The man sustained gunshot wounds to his head, abdomen and pelvis.
The man was taken in serious-to-critical condition to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
BEAT 313

Man fatally shot on Southside

A 31-year-old man was pronounced dead this afternoon shortly after being shot on the Southeast Side.
The shooting happened on the 4600 block of South Langley Avenue at about 1:06 p.m..

Kedron Jones of the 4900 block of South Champlain Avenue was shot in the chest and leg and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at 1:38 p.m..
BEAT 222

Photos released of fatal hit-and-run vehicle

Chicago police this morning released a video image of the car they believe struck and killed a 43-year-old woman in the city's Uptown neighborhood Saturday and fled the scene.
The hit-and-run crash happened about 1:30 a.m. Saturday on the 4700 block of North Sheridan Road near Lawrence Avenue.

Killed was Beverly Akerson, of the 1200 block of North Laramie Avenue,.
A nearby camera captured the image of a light-colored sedan traveling south on Sheridan Road, according to a community alert. The front of the vehicle may have front end damage.

Anyone with information on the accident is asked to call the police's Major Accident Investigation Unit at (312) 745-4521.

Gunman critically wounds man in North Austin neighborhood

A young man was critically hurt in a shooting in the North Austin neighborhood on the West Side.
The shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1300 block of North Mayfield Avenue.

The 22-year-old victim was struck by at least three shots on the right side of his body when a gunman approached and fired on him.
He was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park before being transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
Despite the shooting happening in broad daylight, police weren't able to get a description of the gunman.
BEAT 2531

Man charged in fatal drunk driving crash near Millennium Park

A Near West Side man has been charged with striking and killing a Washington man in a drunk driving accident on Lake Shore Drive near Millennium Park over the weekend.
Jimmy Members, 45, was charged with aggravated DUI and DUI and cited for striking a pedestrian in the roadway for the Saturday morning crash.
Police said that Members was behind the wheel of the Cadillac Seville that struck Stephen Dapogny, 50, as he crossed Lake Shore Drive.
Dapogny, of Redmond, Wash., was rushed to nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead 12 minutes after the crash.
Authorities took Members into custody at the scene suspecting the crash involved alcohol, police said.
Members, of the 2400 block of West Madison Street, is expected to appear in Central Bond Court later this morning.

Police issue alert after woman attacked on North Side

Chicago Police issued a community alert after a 22-year-old woman was assaulted early this morning in the Uptown neighborhood.
The incident happened on the 1500 block of West Carmen Avenue at 4:35 a.m
A man grabbed the woman and battered her and then attempted to sexually assault her, police said.
The man is described as white Hispanic, in his 30s, 5-feet-5 inches to 5-feet-8 inches, between 165 and 185 pounds with brown eyes, black hair and a light beard and mustache.
He was last seen wearing a dark colored baseball hat, worn backwards with dark blue jeans, dark blue gym shoes and a white "sports team" type jacket and a tan colored messenger style bag with one shoulder strap.
BEAT 2023

2 shot in drive-by on West Side

Two people were hospitalized after being shot in a drive-by this afternoon in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.
The shooting happened at about 4 p.m. on the 700 block of North Springfield Avenue.
A teenage boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition after being shot in the head.
The female, whose age was not available, was in good condition after beiing shot in the arm.
UPDATE: Boy, 15, brain dead after drive-by that wounded mom
BEAT 1112

Bail denied for 2 men in 2009 double slaying

A Cook County judge denied bail Saturday for two men charged in a 2009 drive-by shooting that killed two other men on Chicago’s South Side.
Barron C. Brown, 23, and Jamie Monden, 27, were allegedly driving around looking for rival gang members to shoot at about 1:40 a.m. on July 5, 2009, when they spotted a white Lexus in the 1200 block of East 63rd Street, according to court documents.
Thinking that people from another gang were inside, Brown allegedly fired several shots into the vehicle. The shooting killed both Leundra P. Straight, 22, of North Liberty, Iowa, and Loweton L. Harmon, 26, of the 9100 block of South Parnell Avenue in Chicago.
Brown, of the 6500 block of South Drexel Avenue in Chicago, was arrested near Atlanta on Sept. 1, according to court documents. Monden was arrested Thursday near his home in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood.
A third person who was in the Lexus and survived the shooting allegedly identified Brown as the shooter, according to court documents. Both Brown and Monden are charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Weapon found after shots fired at police on South Side

Gunshots were fired in the direction of Chicago police officers late this afternoon as they were breaking a up a fight in the South Side's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
No officers were hurt, and none of them returned fire.
The officers responded to a call of a "battery in progress" about 5:20 p.m. near West 78th and South Ada Streets, about a block west of Saint Sabina Catholic Church, to break up a scuffle between a group of girls.
As they responded to that call, shots were fired in their direction from down the street.
They said it's unclear whether any officers were targeted, and are looking into the possibility that the gunman was aiming for someone else.
A TEC-9 gun, believed to be the weapon used during the shooting, was found near the scene.
BEAT 612

Chicago murder by numbers and race (Wake up minorities)

                                Racial makeup map                           Murder map

Click to enlarge

Mom ordered held on $1M bail in death of infant daughter

A 20-year-old South Side woman was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail this morning, accused in the shaking death of her 2-month-old daughter.
Starkenya Banks, of the 7100 block of South Yates Boulevard, faces first-degree murder charges. Her daughter Omaria Beckon was found unresponsive at her home Thursday night.
Police have said Omaria suffered from shaken baby syndrome. The mother allegedly shook the infant while upset because she hadn't seen the girl's father for a day or two

One in Ten Florida Welfare Applicants Fail Drug Tests

Requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive a check from the state is saving Florida a lot of money so far. The program began in July. Tarren Bragdon of the Foundation for Government Accountability, a new Florida-based think tank, reports:

[F]or July, 9.6 percent of otherwise qualified applicants for cash assistance were denied for a drug-related reason. With an approximate annual savings to the state of $1,608 per drug-related denial […] these 574 denials from July 2011 represent annualized savings to Florida taxpayers of $922,992. The cost of reimbursing the 5,390 approved applicants with a negative drug test ($30 average for each) reduces this annualized savings figure by $161,700, for a net savings to taxpayers of $761,292 for the first month of the program alone. Since Florida’s initial denial rate is 9.6 percent, the State is currently saving an estimated $5.71 on drug testing for every $1 it spends reimbursing approved applicants with negative drug tests who ultimately receive cash assistance. If these July trends continue throughout the first year, the drug testing requirement will save Florida taxpayers $9,135,504 from July 2011 through June 2012.
READ MORE HERE: INSIDER ONLINE

CIC exclusive: Behind the scenes look at the City of Chicago's planning commision at work ( Liberals in action)

Homicides by Chicago Police Districts last 9 month

Homicides by Chicago Police Districts last 9 month

Rank	Police District	Count
1		41
2		32
3		26
4		25
5		22
6		21
6		21
8		17
8		17
10		13
11		11
12		10
13		9
14		6
15		4
15		4
15		4
18		3
18		3
18		3
18		3
22		2
22		2
24		1
24		1

CHICAGO SURPASSES 300 HOMICIDES LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MURDEROUS 7TH DISTRICT (Englewwod)

2011 click on image to enlarge

Man crossing Lake Shore Drive hit by vehicle, dies

A man crossing Lake Shore Drive near Monroe Street was killed when he was struck by a vehicle shortly after 1 a.m. this morning.
the identity of the man, 50, is being withheld pending notification of his family.
Police said earlier in the morning the incident was a hit-and-run but later clarified that a 45-year-old male driver was taken into custody. They didn't have any other information about the driver.
He hasn't been charged but police said in a release that the incident may be related to driving under the influence.

23-year-old man shot in Woodlawn

At about 10 p.m., a 23-year-old man was shot in his eye in the city's Woodlawn area.
He' was reported in stable condition at Stroger Hospital. Preliminary reports said he was sitting in his vehicle when someone approached on foot and opened fire.

18-year-old woman shot on South Trumbull Avenue

An 18-year-old woman was shot in her chest on the 2800 block of South Trumbull Avenue at about 10:30 p.m..
She was standing on a corner with several other people when when shots were fired from a passing red vehicle.
She was listed in guarded condition at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Charter school finds it has moved into danger

Students at the west campus of Urban Prep Academy say they’re being targeted, chased and harassed by gangbangers as they walk to and from school.
Leaders of the college preparatory school and parents of students met Thursday night to discuss what can be done about the ongoing problem.
The all-boys public school’s new location--one of three Urban Prep campuses--opened at 1326 W. 14th St. just weeks ago. But right after classes began, groups of young men in the surrounding neighborhood began harassing, fighting and robbing students at gunpoint.
Parents say an incident happens every day. They believe the men who are harassing the students live in a CHA housing complex a few blocks north of the school.
READ MORE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE
BEAT 1231

18-year-old man shot in Brighton Park neighborhood

At about 3:30 a.m. today, an 18-year-old man was shot in the right leg after a "verbal altercation" on the 3000 block of West 39th Place in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood.
BEAT 912

28-year-old man shot in Washington Park neighborhood

A 28-year-old man was shot while walking on a sidewalk on the 5800 block of South Prairie Avenue in the Washington Park neighborhood, an area that has seen a number of shootings recently.
The shots came from a dark-colored SUV driving by.
He was shot in the arm and suffered a graze wound to his back. He was transported to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition.
BEAT 234

Two boys, 11 and 14, shot in Avondale

Two boys, ages 11 and 14, were shot while standing on a porch in the city’s Avondale neighborhood Thursday night.
A man or boy in a dark-colored SUV drove past the residence in the 3200 block of North Albany Avenue and fired shots at about 9:15 p.m..
Both victims suffered graze wounds -- the 11-year-old to his ankle and the older boy to his right leg -- and were treated at the scene.
BEAT 1411

Description released for man who attacked Lincoln Park woman

Police today released a description for a man who robbed and sexually assaulted a Lincoln Park woman at gunpoint this week.
About 2:30 p.m. Wednesday the woman was in her home in the 2600 block of North Wilton Avenue, a few blocks from the DePaul University campus, when the man .
When the victim answered the door the attacker showed her a gun and forced his way in, where he sexually assaulted the woman and stole an unknown amount of money.
A community alert released tonight describes the attacker as a white man, 20-30, 5-foot-11 and 150-160 pounds. He was wearing a black Spandex-type ski mask, exposing his eyes. The attacker also was wearing a navy blue zippered jacket with a logo on the right shoulder, blue jeans, black sneakers and a black backpack.

Belmont Area detectives were investigating, and anyone with information is asked to call 312-744-8261.

UIC officials warn of armed robbery near campus

Officials at the University of Illinois at Chicago sent out a crime alert to students today after a male student was robbed for his backpack at gunpoint off campus.
About 11:25 p.m. Wednesday a male student was walking on the 700 block of South Laflin Street when he saw two males exiting a red SUV located in the south alley of Lexington Street, according to the alert.
 One of the males was carrying a semi-automatic handgun and approached the student, demanding his bag, officials said.
 The student dropped the bag and the second male picked it up. The robbers then fled the scene, officials said.
 The suspect with the handgun was described by police as a black male, 20 to 23 years old, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 160 pounds. He had braided black hair and was last seen wearing a dark baseball cap with white trim, a dark hoodie and blue jeans.
 The second robber was described as a black male, 20 to 23 years old, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing dark clothing.
BEAT 1213

2 MEN SHOT IN LAWNDALE

The second shooting occurred around 9 a.m. near the Pink Line in the Lawndale neighborhood.
Two men, both around 19, were shot in the 2100 block of South California Avenue. They drove themselves to St. Anthony Hospital and were transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition.
One of the men was shot in the abdomen, the other in the buttocks.
BEAT 1022

2 MEN SHOT ONE SHOT DEAD ON WESTSIDE

Two men were shot as they sat in a car in the 100 block of North Kostner Avenue shortly before 10 a.m
One of the men, 28, died and was identified as Antione Lavender of the 200 block of South Lavergene Avenue, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office. The other victim, 34, was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital
BEAT 1113

Woman shot multiple times in Lawndale

A woman was shot multiple times Wednesday night in the Lawndale neighborhood.

 She was standing on the sidewalk in the 2600 block of West 21st Place at 8:58 p.m. when a male approached and fired several shots at her.

 The woman, 36, was shot twice in the back and once in the arm.

BEAT 1023

Man and womn shot on King Drive

At about 9:15 p.m., a 27-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were standing outside in the 6400 block of South King Drive when both were struck by gunshots to their legs.
BEAT 312

17 year old shot

The 17 year old  had just walked out of a business near the intersection of South Wabash Avenue and 59th Street at about 7 p.m. when two teenage gunmen approached from behind and opened fire.
The victim was shot in the leg.
BEAT 233

Woman robbed, sexually assaulted in Lincoln Park

A woman was robbed and sexually assaulted at gunpoint in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.

An unidentified man attacked the woman at gunpoint in the 2600 block of North Wilton Avenue, a few blocks from the DePaul University campus, at 2:30 p.m., police said. No other information on the incident was available.
BEAT 1933

Who wants 4 more years of Obama?

Man stabbed multiple times in Roseland neighborhood

A man is in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times early Wednesday on the Far South Side Roseland neighborhood.

 The man -- an adult whose age wasn’t immediately known -- was found stabbed about 2:30 a.m. at 10836 S. Eggleston Ave.

BEAT 2233

14-year-old charged with killing boy, 15, in Washington Park

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with fatally shooting a boy 1 year older in what may have been an internal gang conflict in the Washington Park neighborhood.
The teen was cited in a delinquency petition in connection with the Monday afternoon shooting death of Steven McGee, 15.

A witness identified the 14-year-old boy as the triggerman who fired several shots at McGee in the 6000 block of South Prairie Avenue at about 5:50 p.m. Monday, according to police. Officers arrested the boy at his home, just two blocks from McGee's South Side home.
Police believe the shooting was spurred by an internal gang conflict. The Washington Park neighborhood and the adjacent Woodlawn neighborhood have been marked by gang rivalries and have been the scene of several recent shootings, including one just two blocks from where McGee was shot.
McGee was walking on Prairie Avenue when a man passing by on a bicycle warned that "guys with guns" had gathered in a nearby alley.
Then one or two people emerged from the alley and opened fire, hitting McGee in the head and upper body.
 McGee was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later in the evening. McGee was an 8th-grade student at Ross Elementary School, according to Chicago Public Schools.

Suspect in boy's beating implicated by fellow gang members (Tale of Chicago's brutal minority underclass)

As 14-year-old Brian DeLeon lay crumpled on the ground in the Logan Square neighborhood one week ago, three Maniac Latin Disciples gang members yelled to Esteban Miranda to stop wielding a baseball bat against the boy's head and body.
But instead of stopping, Miranda, 19, who was implicated by fellow gang members, continued beating DeLeon only steps from the Yates Elementary School playground across where DeLeon took a short cut as he walked home from his girlfriend's home.
"The others were yelling, 'He's a Neutron (Slang for a non-gang member), stop hitting him.' He wouldn't listen," according to the source. "The other three felt bad for the kid they knew he wasn't a gang member."
Miranda, of the 1600 block of North Maplewood Avenue, is set to appear in court this morning, where he faces one count of attempted first-degree murder and one count of armed robbery, authorities said.
Police said that Miranda brutally beat and left for dead DeLeon, a Phoenix Military Academy freshman, near Yates Elementary School. The boy remains in a coma at Children's Memorial Hospital.
Miranda, who police said is a member of the same gang as the other men with him that night, were cruising on Sept. 13 in a Geo Prism belonging to Miranda's sister. Their object that night was to beat up a member of their rival gang, the Spanish Cobras, with whom they have been having a heated rivalry.
Instead, they came upon DeLeon who the men in the car, including Miranda, knew was not gang affiliated.
Miranda allegedly beat the boy and left him on the ground, stealing the boy's cell phone. The boy had just missed a call from his girlfriend Dayana Vazquez, who had called him after the boy failed to notify her when he made it back to his home as was their routine, the source said. While they were driving, Miranda then called back the last number received on the telephone.
"He dialed the last number and it goes into voice mail, he yells, 'YLo Cobra Killa' B---h,''' according to the source, adding that it referred to a local faction of the Spanish Cobras known to frequent the area.
While police were never able to locate the phone, they were able to pull the voice mail message from the girl's phone as evidence. The girl told the Tribune last week that she heard the words "Cobra Killa','' and heard music.
Miranda was charged with robbery, a class X felony, because he stole the boy's phone. The car was also located nearby and inside police found the baseball bat
While Miranda had a lawyer and chose not to say anything to police, the other three men -- who are between 19 and 22 -- provided statements to the police implicating Miranda. Miranda was arrested on Sunday along with one of the other men and the remaining two were arrested on Monday.
News of the beating sent shockwaves through the community and spurred Yates Principal Harry Randell to invite parents and police to discuss safety around the Logan Square school.
Police said they received a single tip from the public which wrongly implicated an African-American member of the Latin Kings who was not involved.
Miranda is well known to police. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to serve in the Cook County sheriff's boot camp, according to court records. The sentence ran concurrently with a aggravated DUI conviction from the previous year.
The most important leads came from the gangs themselves, police said. Investigators spoke with members of the Spanish Cobras, who put the blame on the Maniac Latin Disciples, with whom they said they are having current gang tensions. Members of the Maniac Latin Disciples implicated Miranda as well as the other three men with Miranda that evening.

2 men wounded in West Englewood shooting

Two men were seriously injured in a shooting in the city's West Englewood neighborhood.
Police discovered the men, ages 40 and 29, lying wounded on the sidewalk in the 1700 block of West 71st Street at about 7 p.m. Tuesday. Responding officers also saw a man running from the scene as they arrived.
The 40-year-old man, who was shot in the thigh and right arm, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition. The younger victim, who was shot in the left thigh and abdomen, was taken to Stroger Hospital in "guarded" condition.
BEAT 735

Man found dead on South Loop street corner

An autopsy is scheduled Wednesday for a man who was found dead on a South Loop street corner early Tuesday.
Police found the man's body at Wabash Avenue and Roosevelt Road at about 4:30 a.m. He was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital less than an hour later.
The Cook County medical examiner's office said it seemed the man may have fallen from height, but the autopsy will likely indicate the cause of death with more clarity

Five charged with beating, stabbing man to death in Little Village

Three men and two women have been charged with murder in the death of a 28-year-old man who was beaten and robbed after leaving a transgender bar in the Southwest Side’s Little Village neighborhood early Saturday.

Crystal Cruz, 28, of the 2200 bock of Dunmore Street in Joliet; Ramiro Carrillo, 21, of Cicero; Victor Redding, 21, of the 4800 block of South Winchester Avenue in Chicago; Jesus Cabrales, 25, of the 2800 block of South Kedvale Avenue; and Yessenia Torres, 25, of the 4100 block of West 26th Street, are charged with two counts each of first-degree murder for the death of Gumaro Chavez, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said.

Torres was ordered held on $750,000 bond on Tuesday while the others were denied bond, Simonton said. All five will appear for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 7.

Chavez left La Cueva, a transgender bar, about 2:15 a.m. Saturday with the two women, and went to his car in the 2600 block of South Kedvale. Chavez got into the driver’s side; Cruz got into the front passenger seat; and Torres got into the back seat, court records indicated.

That’s when Cabrales and Redding approached. Cabrales opened the door and began striking Chavez, pulling him out of the car, prosecutors allege. They repeatedly struck Chavez in the head and tried to take money from him. Cruz told the others Chavez had money and began hitting him, prosecutors allege.

Cabrales, armed with a knife, allegedly stabbed Chavez multiple time, while Carillo approached from across the street and kicked him. During the beating, Torres left the car, returning shortly after to take a bag of beer from the back seat, according to court records.

Torres, Cruz and Carrillo left to go to Torres’ apartment, while Cabrales and Redding searched Chavez’s car, including the trunk. Cabrales then took off Chavez’s pants and fled with Redding to meet the others at Torres’ apartment with both the pants and the murder weapon, a knife, prosecutors allege.

A witness told police they saw Redding take the knife and Cabrales toss it off the back of an apartment balcony. It was later recovered by police on a nearby rooftop.

Cabrales and Redding then shred and bleached their clothes inside Torres’ apartment. Torres and Cruz returned to Chavez’s car minutes after the beating and drove away, court records said.

Chavez, left lying on the parkway, was dead when police arrived.

After the murder, Cruz and Torres went to another club, Mad Anthony’s, and then a McDonald’s later in the morning.

Prosecutors said Cabrales, Redding and Cruz told a witness about the beating and robbery. That witness described each defendant’s role in the beating and stabbing, which were also caught on video surveillance.

Chavez died of multiple blunt force trauma and multiple stab wounds, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said following an autopsy.

Cabrales, Redding and Carrillo admitted to their participation in the beating and Cruz admitted to being at the scene and taking the car. Torres admitted taking beer from the car during the beating and being with Cruz as they drove off after the beating

2 men shot in West Englewood

Two men were shot and injured this evening in the West Englewood neighborhood.
The incident happened at about 7 p.m. near 71st and Paulina streets.
A 29-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and taken in serious condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, he said. The other man, a 40-year-old, also was shot in the abdomen.
BEAT 735

Woman robs downtown bank after threatening teller

A woman walked into a downtown bank branch this morning and fled with cash after threatening a teller.
The robber entered the Chase branch at 600 North Dearborn St. at about 9 a.m., handed a teller a note announcing the robbery and threatened harm if her demands weren't met.
She got an undisclosed amount of money and fled on foot.
She was described as white, between 25 and 30 and about 5-foot-7. She had brown hair and sported a ponytail. She wore sunglasses, a black sweatshirt, black pants, a baseball-type cap and carried a black purse.
She did not display a weapon.
Of the 59 bank robberies in the Chicago area this year, this is the second committed by a woman, said FBI spokeswoman Cynthia Yates. The first was dressed as a nun in a Palos Heights robbery, and she has been captured.

Police shoot, wound man in Englewood neighborhood

Chicago police shot and wounded a man following what began as a traffic stop and ended with the man pointing a handgun at officers.
No officers were injured in the shooting that occurred at about 12:20 a.m. in the 1200 block of West 58th Street.
Englewood police district stopped the vehicle in the 5800 block of South Elizabeth Street to conduct field interviews.
As police were removing the four men from the vehicle in order to search them, one of the men bolted and ran east, said police and Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police.
After the officers broadcast the man's description over police radio, two responding officers spotted a man fitting the description a short time later near 58th Street and Racine Avenue.
When those officers got out of their vehicle and approached, the man turned away with a handgun in his hand, Camden said. When the 33-year-old man pointed the gun in the officers' direction, one of the officers fired, striking the man in his left side.
The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
Police said they recovered a handgun at the scene.
BEAT 712

Man shot in the leg, dies in West Englewood neighborhood

A 21-year-old man died after suffering a leg wound Monday afternoon in the West Englewood neighborhood.
The victim was identified as Cordell Brown, of the 6400 block of South Wood Street
An autopsy, scheduled for this morning, could confirm police suspicions that the bullet struck an artery in Brown's leg.
The shooting happened at about 3:05 p.m. in the 5900 block of South Winchester Avenue.
Brown was walking down the street when two gunmen got out of a car and opened fire on him.
He ran a short distance before collapsing on the street, police said. He was struck in the left leg, but bled profusely at the scene.
Investigators suspected that the shooting was gang related because the victim was a member of an area gang,.
BEAT 714

Boy, 17, fatally shot in Washington Park neighborhood

A 17-year-old boy was shot and killed Monday afternoon on a street in the Washington Park neighborhood that has been the scene of previous shootings.
Killed was Steven McGee of the 6100 block of South Michigan Avenue.
At about 5:50 p.m., McGee was walking in the 6000 block of South Prairie Avenue -- about three blocks from his home -- when a man passing by on a bicycle warned that "guys with guns" had gathered in a nearby alley.
Then one or two men emerged from the alley and opened fire on McGee, striking him in the head and upper torso.
Police said McGee, who reached 17 only six days ago, was affiliated with an area gang, but didn't offer a motive.
BEAT 311

Gunman with T-shirt over face kills teen on Southwest Side porch

A 17-year-old boy was shot to death on a front porch in the Marquette Park neighborhood late this morning.
The teen was sitting on a front porch in the 7200 block of South Artesian Avenue about 11:25 a.m. when a male attacker with a T-shirt wrapped around his face came up to the home on foot and fired several shots, hitting the boy.
The victim was dead on the scene, and the attacker fled north on foot.
BEAT 0832

1 killed, 1 hurt in Gage Park shooting

One man was killed and another seriously injured by gunfire this morning in the South Side's Gage Park neighborhood. The incident happened at about 7:50 a.m. in the 5800 block of South Washtenaw Avenue.
One man, believed to be in his 20s, died from this injuries, while the other man, who is 28 years old, was in critical condition.
The man who died was identified as Salvador Rodriguez, a resident of the block where the shooting happened.
The men were walking along the block when an unknown gunman in a red minivan opened fire, said Chicago Police Officer Robert Perez. It was not immediately known if the gunman got out of the vehicle.
BEAT 824

4 wounded, 1 fatally, in 2 Maywood shootings

Four people were shot, one fatally, in two separate incidents overnight in Maywood.
Just before midnight Sunday, a man was killed in the 800 block of South 19th Avenue across the street from where another man was killed early Saturday morning
Johntue Tate, 27, of the same block where he was shot, was pronounced dead at Loyola University Medical Center at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, the Cook County medical examiner's office said.
A 20-year-old man was shot in both legs in the same incident.
Six blocks away, in the 200 block of South 19th Avenue at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday, a 22-year-old man was parking a car when at least one gunman approached and opened fire.
The man leaned over to shield his passenger, a 21-year-old woman, and both sustained multiple gunshot wounds. They were both transported to Loyola, and their conditions weren’t known.
Early Saturday, 25-year-old Vincent M. Frazier of Chicago's Austin Neighborhood was shot and killed at about 3:45 a.m

Man shot dead in Little Village neighborhood

Just before midnight, Marcus Winsley, 23, was found dead in his back yard on the 2500 block of South Spaulding Avenue in the city's Little Village neighborhood.
He was shot in his head and chest, police said. Other circumstances surrounding his death weren't immediately available. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
BEAT 1024

Man shot on West Van Buren

At about 12:15 a.m., a 31-year-old man was shot in a separate incident on the 5200 block of West Van
Buren Street. A bullet grazed his arm and he was taken to Loretto Hospital in good condition
BEAT 1522

 
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Man shot in his leg on the 7600 block of South Avalon Avenue

A man was shot in his leg on the 7600 block of South Avalon Avenue at about 2:20 a.m., Mirabelli said. He was transported in good condition to Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center
BEAT 411