Chicago Breaking News

6 dead, more than 20 hurt in weekend violence

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:24:48 -0600

A bloody Saturday night and Sunday in Chicago left six people dead and more than 20 others, including a 7-year-old boy, injured from gunshot or stab wounds.

Marchello Henderson, 26, of the 10400 block of South Wabash Avenue, was killed after being shot several times about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Henderson was one of several people standing in the 5700 block of South Union Avenue when he and two others were shot, Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said. A 7-year-old boy was shot in the arm and was listed in good condition in Comer Children's Hospital, fire and police officials said. A 26-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the side and was grazed by a bullet across the chest, police said. He was in good condition Sunday in Stroger Hospital, police said.

Andre Armstrong, 35, of the 4300 block of South Champlain Avenue was stabbed in the chest about 11:50 p.m. Saturday at the same address, News Affairs Officer Michael Fitzpatrick said. Armstrong later was pronounced dead in Stroger.

About midnight Saturday, four men were shot in the 6400 block of South Sangamon Street, police said. An 18-year-old man and a 29-year-old man were in critical condition Sunday in Stroger. Two victims, ages 29 and 34, were in stable condition in St. Bernard Hospital, police said.

Two people were fatally shot about 1:45 a.m. near East 63rd Street and South Maryland Avenue, Fitzpatrick said. Loweton Harrman, 26, of the 9100 block of South Parnell Avenue and Leundra Straight, 22, of North Liberty, Iowa, were killed, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. No other details were available.

Authorities continue to look for several suspects in the fatal shooting of Dominic Barnes, 21, of the 600 block of East 51st Street. Police responded to a shooting about 10:15 a.m. in the 4700 block of South Forrestville Avenue. Witnesses told police Barnes was shot after several people exited a gray Chevrolet Monte Carlo and began firing, police said.

About 11:40 a.m., Francisco Lopez, 29, of the 4700 block of South Paulina Street was shot dead near his home, police said. Another man was taken to Holy Cross Hospital with minor injuries, fire officials said.

A man in his 30s was shot in the head in the 600 block of East 87th Street about 12:19 p.m. Sunday, police said. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in "very critical condition," said Officer John Mirabelli, a police spokesman.

No charges had been made in any of the fatal shootings as of late Sunday. Several other non-fatal incidents occurred throughout the city late Saturday and early Sunday, police said.

Police spokesman Roderick Drew said he needed a chance to review information about the weekend violence and would not comment until Monday.

--Carlos Sadovi and Kristen Schorsch

Charges in beating death of elderly man

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:10:00 -0600

A Chicago man accused of using garden tools, an ice scraper, a BB gun and a pipe to allegedly beat his landlord to death before setting his body on fire, is eligible for the death penalty, Cook County prosecutors said Sunday.

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil denied bail for Martin Vega, 27, who was renting an apartment from William Hallin, 67, in the two-story home Hallin owned in the 5000 block of South Talman Avenue in Chicago's Gage Park community. Vega is charged with first-degree murder.

Around 6 p.m. Friday, Hallin went to collect rent, and Vega didn't pay up, Assistant Cook County State's Atty. Emily Stevens said. Hallin then noticed Vega had a dog in his apartment, which was not allowed, officials said. Hallin told Vega he would have to move out, and a bloody fight ensued, officials said.

Vega allegedly pushed Hallin down stairs then delivered blows to Hallin's head and body with various weapons and tools, Stevens said in court. Vega allegedly took Hallin to the basement, where Hallin began to cry and beg for his life, Stevens said. To shut Hallin up, Vega put a shirt in his landlord's mouth, then beat his skull with a lamp, Stevens said.

Vega then choked Hallin with a rope and put him on a rug in the basement, Stevens said. He threw gasoline from a lawn mower on the rug and on Hallin, then lit the rug on fire, Stevens alleged.

The Cook County state's attorney's office has yet to decide if it will seek the death penalty against Vega, who is due in court Monday. Vega has five felony convictions, including for unlawful use of a weapon, residential burglary and aggravated vehicular hijacking, records show.

-- Kristin Schorsch

Cabdriver accused of sexually abusing customer

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:28:28 -0600

A taxicab driver is accused of kidnapping and sexually abusing a 24-year-old woman riding in his cab, Chicago police said this evening.

Fred Batrony (left), 55, of the 1400 block of Chicago Avenue, Evanston, was charged with aggravated kidnapping and criminal sexual abuse.

Batrony picked up the woman after she hailed a cab near the intersection of Fullerton Avenue and Clark Street in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood about 11:30 p.m. Friday, police said. The victim told Batrony to drive her to Diversey Parkway and Clark, but was instead driven to a secluded area.

Batrony then exited the driver's seat and entered the rear seat of the cab where he sexually abused the woman, who tried to resist him, police said.

The victim walked a short distance to contact a friend after being dropped off at Diversey and Clark, and called police.

Officers met with the woman, who helped them identify the cab company associated with Batrony.

Officers went to the cab company where Batrony worked, interviewed him and placed him into custody Saturday morning.

--Staff report

Gunshots kill man in Bronzeville

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:00:00 -0600

Chicago police were looking for several people responsible for fatally shooting a man in the Bronzeville neighborhood this morning.

Dominic Barnes was shot multiple times about 10:14 a.m. in the 4700 block of South Forrestville Avenue, officials said.

Chicago Police Officer John Mirabelli, a police spokesman, said two people walked up to Barnes and at least one of them opened fire on him. The suspects then fled from the scene in a vehicle.

Barnes, 21, of the 600 block of East 51st Street, was dead on the scene, said a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Mirabelli could not provide a description of the suspects or the vehicle this evening.

Wentworth Area detectives were conducting a homicide investigation. No one was in custody.

-- Carlos Sadovi and Jeremy Gorner

Motorcyclist killed on Ohio Street feeder ramp

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:00:23 -0600

A motorcyclist was killed today when his bike crashed into a median wall on the Ohio Street feeder ramp, just off the Kennedy Expressway, Illinois State Police said.

Baltazar Marcos, 32, of the 1300 block of South 57th Avenue in Cicero, was dead at the scene of the crash, which happened about noon, according to state police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Further details about the crash were unavailable this evening.

--Staff report

Drowning probed in Orland Park

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:00:00 -0600

An autopsy today determined a 5-year-old girl drowned in an Orland Park pool Saturday evening, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Stephanie Harrison, of Oswego, was pronounced dead at 7:55 p.m. at Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights. Her death was determined to be accidental.

She was found at a home on the 7800 block of Palm Drive in Orland Park, according to the medical examiner's office. The girl was found in a pool in the home.

She was attending a family gathering at the home with her parents and two siblings when she entered a below ground swimming pool without her flotation device on, Orland Park Police Lt. John Keating said in a news release. Adults in and around the pool deck found her in the water, removed her and administered cardiopulmonary resusciation, Keating said.

"This drowning incident appears to be nothing more than a tragic accident,'' Keating said.

-- Carlos Sadovi

Chicago man accused in slayings Iowa women

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:51:03 -0600

The Des Moines Register reports: A Chicago man has been charged in the killings of two Iowa women.

Read more about this story at: desmoinesregister.com.

Man shot in the head in Burnside neighborhood

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:26:27 -0600

A man in his 30s was shot in the head in the Burnside neighborhood this afternoon, police said.

The man was shot at about 12:19 p.m. on the 600 block of East 87th Street, said Chicago Police Officer John Mirabell.

The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in "very critical" condition, Mirabelli said.

No other details were available.

-- Carlos Sadovi

Structural failure eyed in Ind. bridge collapse

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:41:00 -0600

The bridge in Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville, Ind., that collapsed Saturday night. (Nancy Stone/ Chicago Tribune)

About 25 people were sent to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries and no fatalities were reported after a pedestrian bridge collapsed in Merrillville, Ind., after a fireworks show Saturday evening, police said today.

A preliminary investigation shows the cause of the collapse to be "structural failure of the footbridge,'' Merrillville Police Chief Joe Petruch said in a press release.

Some witnesses said that as many as 150 people may have been on the bridge designed to hold only 40 people. Officials said the bridge was inspected last year.

The bridge collapsed at the conclusion of the yearly Ross Township Fourth of July fireworks demonstration at Hidden Lake Park. The park is one of several owned and operated by the township's office, Petruch said.

Petruch said there are no reported fatalities and no one is reported missing. About 50 people fell into the water, he said. About 10,000 people were estimated to have been watching the the fireworks display at the park, Peturch said.

Merrillville police, Ross Township Fire Service, divers and helicopter units from the Lake County police department responded to the collapse of the cable suspension foot bridge at the park about 10:08 p.m. at the end of the fireworks display, Petruch said.

Petruch said 15 ambulances responded to the area after Merrillville police began conducting water rescue operations and removing "numerous people from the water.'' Rescue operations concluded at 1:08 a.m., he said.

John W. Rooda, a Ross Township trustee, said there was one police officer assigned to each end of the bridge to control the number of people on it. He said the most serious injuries were a fractured collarbone and a broken leg.

"It could have been much more serious,'' said Rooda. "We positioned uniformed police officers on both ends of the bridge. ... that should have been enough."

He said that the bridge was only equipped to handle 40 people. He believes there were more than 80 on the bridge when it collapsed.

In an interview, Rooda's wife Linda and son William, who were near the bridge and helped with the rescue, put the figure at about 150 people. Trustee Rooda said the two cables supporting the bridge snapped one at a time with the weight of the people.

"This was not a failure of the bridge, there were too many people on it,'' Rooda said.

Hidden Lake Park is located east of Broadway south of 61st Avenue in Merrillville. The wooden bridge collapsed as spectators were leaving the fireworks display.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene, estimating that the roughly 90-foot-long bridge was full of people before it fell.

In a telephone interview with ChicagoBreakingNews.com, James Daniels said he was at the park and came up to the bridge moments after the collapse.

"There was at least 100 people packed on that bridge," he said.

Daniels described the bridge as a "very old suspension bridge," which at its highest point is about 15 feet from the water.

Daniels said there was at least 50 emergency vehicles called to the scene.

After the fireworks show, many people began to cross the bridge at once, Daniel said. "I heard creaking and we knew the bridge was going to collapse," he said.

Next Daniels said he heard screams and people splashing in the water.

Daniels said he ran over to a band that was playing and begged them to stop the music so people could hear emergency instructions.

He said the only nearby lights were on the bridge itself, so when it collapsed people could hardly see each other.

"I've never seen anything like this before in my life," said Daniels, who said he was trained in emergency response while he worked in the mills in Indiana.

Daniels said he heard people crying for their loved ones and saw some people running around the lake searching for victims.

He said he saw a boat in the water with floodlights looking for victims. He saw at least five rescued people placed on backboards with neck braces and carried to ambulances. He saw shoes floating in the water.

"We were walking across and everybody just stopped ... we heard two snaps, and we all went in the water," Seth Argullin, 29, of Merrillville, told the Post-Tribune.

"People were grasping and hanging onto the bridge itself," Robert Walker, of Merrillville, told The Times.

About 50 emergency vehicles responded, and dive teams helped pull victims from the water. A helicopter was brought in to provide light for emergency workers.

-- Deanese Williams-Harris, Carlos Sadovi, Kim Janssen and Associated Press

All-Stars: Cubs' Lilly, Sox's Buehrle

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:26:09 -0600

One year after sending eight players to the All-Star game, the Cubs will have one going to this year's game in St. Louis, left-hander Ted Lilly. The White Sox also have one selection: ace lefty Mark Buehrle, who was picked for the summer classic for the fourth time.

1 dead, 1 hurt in Back of the Yards shooting

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:10:31 -0600

One man was killed and another injured in a shooting incident in the Back of the Yards neighborhood late this morning, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman said.

The shootings occurred about 11:40 a.m. in the 4700 block of South Paulina Avenue.

One of the men, identified as Francisco Lopez, 29, of the same block, was transported to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, where he died, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The second was taken to Holy Cross Hospital with minor injuries, the fire department spokesman said.

Police did not have any details about the incident.

-- Carlos Sadovi

Federer sets record for most Grand Slam wins

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:28:54 -0600

Roger Federer outlasted Andy Roddick in a marathon fifth set today at Wimbledon to win his 15th Grand Slam singles championship, the most in history. The score was 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.

Police seek men behind South Side holdups

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:41:17 -0600

Chicago police issued a community alert today seeking two men who may be behind a series of robberies at small businesses on the South Side.

Police believe the men may have hit at least two hair salons and one bakery in the Chicago Lawn and Deering neighborhoods. The holdups occurred between June 29 and July 3, police said.

The men are described as Hispanic, about 30 years old, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 7 inches and between 150 to 180 pounds, police said. The men wore baseball caps, dark clothing and sunglasses, police said.

Police said that in the hair salon robberies, the men walked in and inquired about the price of a haircut before one of them brandished a handgun. The men took money from the registers as well as from employees, police said.

The men spoke both Spanish and English.

Anyone with information is asked to call Wentworth Area detectives at 312-747-8382.

-- Carlos Sadovi

1 dead as gun violence flares up in Englewood

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:50:00 -0600

One man was killed following a rash of shootings in the Englewood and West Englewood neighborhoods overnight, officials said.

Marchello Henderson, 26, of the 10400 block of South Wabash Avenue, was pronounced dead of multiple gunshot wounds at 3 a.m. at Stroger Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

At about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, a large group of people were standing outside in the 5700 block of South Union Avenue when Henderson and two others were shot, said News Affairs Officer Amina Greer.

A juvenile was shot in the arm and is listed in good condition at Comer's Children's Hospital, and the third victim, 26, suffered a gunshot to the side and was grazed by a bullet in the chest, Greer said. He is in good condition at Stroger Hospital.

At about 12:01 a.m., four adult males were shot in the 6400 block of South Sangamon Street, Greer said.

One man, 18, is in critical condition at Stroger Hospital. Another man, 29, also is listed in critical condition at Stroger. The two other victims, ages 29 and 34, are both stable at St. Bernard Hospital, Greer said.

About 2 a.m., police fired shots in the 7200 block of South Honore Street in West Englewood. No one was struck, but one person was taken into custody and a weapon was recovered, Greer said. The Independent Review Authority is investigating the shooting, police said.

No further information was available.

--Deanese Williams-Harris and Denise Turner

Man arrested after gun battle with cops

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:44:49 -0600

Four men were shot after a disturbance at a South Side club early this morning in which police exchanged gunfire with a man they later took into custody, officials said.

Neither the police nor the suspect arrested for shooting at police was injured, said Chicago Police Officer Robert Perez.

Police were called at about 2:45 a.m. to the Fifty Yard Line at 200 East 75th Street in the Park Manor neighborhood because of a shooting at the club, said News Affairs Officer Amina Greer. Once police arrived, there was an exchange of gunfire with a man who was eventually arrested.

A weapon was recovered from the offender, Greer said.

Police said two of the injured men were in serious condition at Stroger Hospital. A third man was listed in good condition at Saint Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center, and a fourth man was at Advocate Christ Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the torso, said Perez.

Perez said all of the victims had already been shot before police arrived.

The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the police-involved shooting and detectives are looking into the shooting of the four men, Perez said.

-- Deanese Williams-Harris and Denise Turner