Homicide Watch Chicago

Shemeki Heard was stabbed to death Monday morning during a domestic argument in the Hyde Park neighborhood, and her husband is being held on a $2 million bond, charged with her murder.

The 33-year-old Heard was stabbed in the neck during the argument in her apartment in the 5000 block of South East End Avenue about 6:10 a.m. Monday, according to Chicago Police said.

Heard was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died about three hours later, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Rickie Ford, 39, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said. He was still in the aprtment when police arrived, and had suffered lacerations to his hand, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he remains hospitalized as of Wednesday, police said.

Court records show that Heard had kicked Ford out of the apartment, but had recently let him move back in. Her three daughters were present in the apartment, and one of them had gone downstairs to alert a security guard to the argument. The guard came up and found her bleeding.

Ford was ordered held on a $2 million bond Wednesday, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. Prosecutors said he had a 1998 conviction for domsetic violence for burning a woman with a clothing iron. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail and two years’ probation.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By MATTHEW HENDRICKSON
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Silvestre Mejia Jr. died in a hospital Monday, a week after he was shot in the Little Village neighborhood.

The 30-year-old Mejia was driving about 12:45 a.m. July 4 in the 2300 block of South Washtenaw when he was shot in the back of the head, according to Chicago Police. His vehicle then crashed into two parked vehicles.

He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

Mejia, who lived in the 4600 block of South Mozart, was pronounced dead at 12:58 p.m. Monday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy Wednesday indicated he died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Area Central detectives are conducting a homicide investigation, but no one was in custody as of Wednesday afternoon.

A third man has been charged with the shooting death of 17-year-old Demond Avant in the West Side Austin neighborhood about a year and a half ago.

Tyren Reese, 23, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Avant on Dec. 3, 2014, according to Chicago Police.

About 9:25 p.m. that day, Avant was standing on the sidewalk in the 600 block of North Mayfield when someone got out of a nearby van and opened fire, striking him in the head, police said at the time.

Avant, of the 1000 block of North Monitor, was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was pronounced dead at 10:10 p.m., authorities said.

Reese was arrested Monday afternoon in the 4000 block of West Polk, police said.

Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ordered Reese held on a $1 million in bond court Wednesday. He is next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 1.

Two other men, 27-year-old Paris Jones and 36-year-old Kenyon Jones, were charged with Avant’s murder in the days following the shooting. Both are next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 9.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Chicago Police have released surveillance images of two men they say were involved in an April Humboldt Park shooting that left Diangelo Black and Deandre Trotter dead.

The shooting happened about 3:30 p.m. April 7 in the 3400 block of West Chicago, police said.

Two people walked up to the 18-year-old Black and 23-year-old Trotter, and one of them opened fire, striking the men multiple times, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Both men were taken to Stroger Hospital, where Trotter, of the 10900 block of South Racine, died at 4:02 p.m., authorities said. Black, of the 11100 block of South Edbrooke, was pronounced dead at the hospital two days later on April 9.

Police on Tuesday released photos of two suspects, both black men between 18 and 24 wearing black knit hats and black jackets. One was wearing dark jeans, and the other wore faded jeans, police said.

Anyone with information should call Area North detectives at (312) 744-8261.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Seventeen-year-old James R. Moore was shot to death Tuesday morning just over a block away from his home in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the Far South Side.

Officers responding to a call of shots fired at 11:42 a.m. in the 10900 block of South Peoria found the boy with multiple gunshot wounds in the backyard of a home, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Moore was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:06 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the 10800 block of South Sangamon.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By JORDAN OWNE
Chicago Sun-Times

A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting rival gang member Angel Cano in the South Side Back of the Yards neighborhood in 2013.

Joel Batalla pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of murder before Judge William Lacy, according to Cook County court records.

Batalla, a Latin Saint, shot the 16-year-old Cano once in the torso and five times in the head in the 4300 block of South Paulina on May 21, 2013, authorities said at the time.

Earlier, Batalla had learned Cano wanted to buy marijuana and brought him, another dealer and a third person through an alley and into a gangway, where he told them to wait, prosecutors said.

Batalla, who was 17 at the time, returned 10 minutes later and shot Cano, an alleged Satan Disciple, prosecutors said.

Judge Lacy sentenced Batalla to 25 years for each count of murder, to be served concurrently, according to court records. He will receive credit for 1,190 days served in the Cook County Jail, and must then serve three years of supervised release.

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Chicago Police say they solved the May 2 murder of 14-year-old Leonardo Betancourt in Back of the Yards when the suspect accidentally shot himself in the arm last weekend.

Robert Morales, 26, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, according to police.

Morales fatally shot Leonardo at 6:34 p.m. May 2 in the 4500 block of South Ashland, according to police.

The boy was in the back seat of a vehicle heading north when other family members in the car heard gunshots and realized he had been shot in the back, police said. The driver took him to a firehouse a block north in the 4400 block of South Ashland.
Read more

A man who was shot and killed Sunday evening in the West Pullman neighborhood has been identified as Demetrius A. Warren.

The 33-year-old Warren was standing in the street about 10:15 p.m. in the 11500 block of South Perry when two males walked up and fired multiple shots, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Warren was shot in the back, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 11:08 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 8400 block of South Colfax.

The shooters ran away, police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

While the public’s attention was drawn to fatal police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, and the killing of five police officers in Dallas last week, at least 12 people died in violence in Chicago, a number that could rise.

Police shootings in Baton Rouge and a Minneapolis suburb led to nationwide protests, including a rally in Dallas that turned fatal when a sniper opened fire, killing five officers, and wounding seven officers and two civilians.

There were a series of protests across Chicago following the incidents, but that didn’t stop the violence in the city.

A man was shot and killed Sunday evening in the West Pullman neighborhood. The 33-year-old was standing on the street about 10:15 p.m. in the 11500 block of South Perry when two males walked up and fired multiple shots, Chicago Police said.

He was shot in the back and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. The shooters ran away and no suspects were in custody early Monday. The victim’s name had not been released as of late Monday afternoon.
Read more

Glennell Fairley, who was honored last year by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, was killed and a teenager wounded as they played basketball in an Englewood neighborhood park late Saturday.

The 15-year-old boy and the 21-year-old Fairley were playing ball about 10:45 p.m. at Ogden Park in the 6500 block of South Racine when they heard gunfire and felt pain, according to Chicago Police.

Fairley was shot in the chest and left arm, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 12:03 a.m. Sunday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 6600 block of South Marshfield.

The teenager suffered a gunshot wound to the left arm and later showed up at Holy Cross Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Fairley, a graduate of Kenwood Academy High School, also studied at Daley College. He took part in the Department of Family and Support Services’ Phalanx Family Services (Youth Services) program, where was honored in 2015 by “Magic” Johnson as one of the stars of the One Summer PLUS program.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire