Homicide Watch Chicago

Willie Pittman was fatally stabbed by his younger brother during a domestic fight early Saturday in the Brainerd neighborhood, authorities said.

Pittman, 33, had gotten into an argument with his 28-year-old brother the night before, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

When Pittman returned to his home in the 9200 block of South Lowe about 5:15 a.m., his brother was there and they started fighting again, authorities said.

The younger brother pulled out a “cutting instrument” and stabbed Pittman in the left arm pit and lower back, authorities said. Pittman was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 11:24 a.m.

The younger man stayed at the scene and was being questioned by detectives Saturday afternoon, police said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A second man has been charged with killing Kwamaine Lovette and Kortney Blakes, and wounding two others, in a shooting at a West Side park last summer.

Ricky Dortch, 29, was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery with discharge of a firearm, all felonies, according to Chicago Police.

Another man, 19-year-old Frank Robinson of Forest Park, was also charged with the murders last month.

The shooting happened at Horan Park in the 3000 block of West Van Buren at 10:36 a.m. Aug. 26, 2015, police said.

Blakes, 23, was shot in the head, and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 2:07 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. Blakes lived in the 3200 block of West Polk.
Read more

By MATTHEW HENDRICKSON and SIMONE ALICEA
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Hector Badillo Jr. was hanging out at his father’s auto shop, as he often did on weekends, when he was shot in the neck and killed Friday night in East Garfield Park.

Badillo was frequently at the shop on weekends, playing cards and dominoes with his father and other employees, and working on cars, including his prized 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, his family said. Although he installed audio equipment for a living, he was a talented mechanic.

“He was a good father,” his future sister-in-law Melody Miranda said. “He grew up in the shop. He hangs out with his father every week. They like to show off their cars.”

Badillo, 31, was outside the shop while his fiancee sat in her SUV across the street about 3:30 a.m. That’s when someone walked out of an alley in the middle of the 700 block of North California and fired shots, according to Chicago Police and his family.
Read more

Kenneth D. Whitaker was found shot to death Friday morning in the Englewood neighborhood.

Officers responding to a call of shots fired in the 7400 block of South Morgan about 6:20 a.m. found the 34-year-old Whitaker on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to the head and wrist, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Whitaker was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. He lived in the 7000 block of South Paulina.

A family member said Whitaker, a father of three, was returning home from work when he was shot three times in the head execution-style.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Robert Vaughn was killed and a woman wounded in a shooting early Friday in the West Chatham neighborhood.

Vaughn, 28; and a 34-year-old woman were shot just after midnight in the first block of West 76th Street, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

They were sitting in a car when a red pickup truck approached and someone inside fired shots. The woman was shot in the face and hip, and Vaughn was shot in the head, authorities said.

The woman drove them to St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center, where Vaughn was pronounced dead at 12:05 a.m., authorities said. He lived in the 200 block of South Damen.

The woman was transferred to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By MATTHEW HENDRICKSON and MITCHELL ARMENTROUT
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Chanda Foreman spent the day before her death going to work, hanging out with her cousin and preparing to go out at night.

She went to her job at Comcast early, where her co-workers had decorated her desk and held a party in honor of her 37th birthday on Thursday, her family said.

Foreman was shot and killed and four others were wounded when a gold Buick with four people inside pulled up about 9:45 p.m. in the 9500 block of South Loomis, and two gunmen opened fire from the back seat, according to Chicago Police.

Foreman was inside her car when she was shot, her mother, Cathy Geralds said. She was told another woman was shot inside Foreman’s car, and three other people were shot on the front porch of Foreman’s aunt’s home.
Read more

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A West Side man who already served time for a murder was charged with fatally stabbing rival Fredrick Brown during a fight about drugs last spring in West Garfield Park.

Soldon Armstrong is accused of stabbing Brown in the chest and torso March 1 in the 3900 block of West Jackson.

Brown, 25, initially walked past Armstrong, but turned around and asked him about narcotics Armstrong had taken from him, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Brian Whang said.

The two argued and eventually ended up fighting, Whang said at Armstrong’s bond hearing Thursday.
Read more

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A Back of the Yards man was ordered on $1 million bond Thursday, charged with stabbing roommate Matusalem Dominguez-Gutierrez to death after a drunken fight.

Miguel Garcia called a friend after attacking Dominguez-Gutierrez on Tuesday and said the victim wasn’t “doing too well,” Cook County prosecutors said in court.

Garcia, 43, had been drinking with Dominguez-Gutierrez and another roommate earlier that day when a fight broke out between Garcia and Dominguez-Gutierrez in the apartment, Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Howroyd said.

Garcia threatened Dominguez-Gutierrez during the fight in the 1700 block of West 51st, Howroyd said.
Read more

The death of Darrell E. Guy Jr., who was found shot to death in his apartment Wednesday afternoon in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, has been ruled a homicide.

The 40-year-old Guy was found with a gunshot wound to the head in an apartment in the 8000 block of South Green at 12:18 p.m., according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Guy, who lived in the building, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:29 p.m., the medical examiner’s office said.

An autopsy Thursday found he suffered multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Marshawn Hilson of downstate Peoria was shot to death early Wednesday in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

The 18-year-old Hilson got out of a vehicle and approached a group of males at 2:03 a.m. in the 6300 block of South Talman, ccording to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Someone in the group then pulled out a gun and opened fire, according to police.

Hilson suffered three gunshot wounds to the chest and one to the left side of the head, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 3:58 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the 2900 block of West Krause Avenue in Peoria.

As of Thursday afternoon, no one was in custody as Area Central detectives continue investigating.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire