Homicide Watch Chicago

Giovanni Garcia was shot to death Wednesday night while sitting in a vehicle in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

A man was shot to death Wednesday night in the Little Village neighborhood. | Network Video Productions

Garcia, who lived about six blocks away in the 3000 block of South Springfield, was shot in the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:33 p.m., authorities said.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Eliza Roper | Cook County Sheriff’s Dept.

Eliza Roper, 25, of Calumet City was found guilty of second-degree murder after a bench trial before Judge James Linn on June 14, according to Cook County court records.

On Jan. 31, 2015, Roper was driving with a man and the 27-year-old Moore was following in another vehicle, authorities said at the time.

Both vehicles pulled into a gas station in the 10000 block of South Michigan Avenue about 2:35 p.m., and Moore and the man got into an argument, authorities said.

Moore got back into her car, bumped into the back of Roper’s vehicle, and attempted to drive away but the man threw a garbage can at her car.
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A man is in custody in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s 21-month-old baby, Raiylana Vasquez, who died Tuesday morning in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Authorities responded to the 4700 block of South Honore at 11:22 a.m. and found Raiylana unresponsive, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police said the toddler had suffered “obvious” signs of trauma.

Raiylana was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:18 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy Wednesday found she died of multiple injuries due to child abuse, and her death was ruled a homicide.

A 22-year-old man, who was responsible for taking care of the child at the time, was taken into custody, police said.
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A teenage boy fatally shot Monday afternoon near the Cicero Green Line stop in West Garfield Park has been identified as a 16-year-old Austin resident Clarence Coakley.

Someone walked up to the boy about 3:30 p.m. in the 4600 block of West Lake Street and shot him repeatedly in the upper torso, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Coakley, known as Durk, was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:50 p.m., authorities said. An autopsy showed he died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide. He lived in the 1300 block of North Parkside.

No one was in custody as of late Tuesday afternoon as Area North detectives investigate.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Police say Orpheus Washington was shooting at a car Monday night in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side when someone in the car fired back, killing the 24-year-old.

Washington was on the street about 8:30 p.m. in the 3800 block of West Augusta when he fired shots at the occupants of a black Chevrolet, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The car then pulled over and the occupants returned fire, striking Washington in the chest.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:10 p.m., authorities said. Washington lived in the 3700 block of North Spaulding.

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

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

A man stabbed to death Sunday night in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side has been identified as a 46-year-old Kevin Faulkner, who lived just blocks away.

Chicago Police investigate a fatal stabbing Sunday night in the 8300 block of South Cottage Grove. | Network Video Productions

That’s when he was stabbed multiple times in the chest, according to police. Faulker was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy showed he died of multiple sharp force injuries and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 8200 block of South Kenwood.

Area South detectives are investigating, but no one was in custody as of Wednesday morning.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

By JEFF MAYES
Homicide Watch Chicago

A young man whose life revolved around playing football, Jeremiah Parker died Monday night, fatally shot during an attempted car theft in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

Jeremiah Parker (left) was a standout running back for the Roosevelt Rough Riders, and had his sights set on college football. | Facebook

An armed male suspect wearing a black hoodie confronted him and demanded his car keys, according to police. A struggle ensued, during which the gun went off and the boy was struck in the chest and arm. The suspect then ran away.

Parker was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about two hours later at 10:42 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 700 block of North Homan.

Germaine Padilla, football coach at Roosevelt during Parker’s first three years, said, “I’m numb, just blown away by this. Jeremiah was a quiet, humble kid. He led by example. He made it a point to stay out of trouble.

“He lived his life for athletics, that was his outlet for many things. He’s just a kid of great character. I would have taken him in and raised him as my own, he was that great of a kid.”
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Keith Hayes Jr. was and another young man were shot in broad daylight on a Roseland neighborhood sidewalk Sunday afternoon. He died about eight hours later.

About 2:15 p.m., the 19-year-old Hayes was standing with a 21-year-old man on the sidewalk in the 11100 block of South Michigan. That’s when a man walked up, pulled a gun and opened fire, then ran away, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Both victims were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where Hayes died of a gunshot wound to the hip at 10:27 p.m., authorities said. He lived in the 11300 block of South Stewart.

The older man was shot in the leg and his condition was stabilized.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Rushun Markis Gaddis was shot to death early Saturday outside a gas station in the South Side Chatham neighborhood.

About 1:45 a.m., officers responding to a call of a person shot at station in the 8200 block of South State Street found the 23-year-old Gaddis inside a vehicle suffering multiple gunshot wounds, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Gaddis, known to friends as Shawn, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:59 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire

High school senior Travis R. Harris was shot to death Sunday afternoon in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

Harris, 18, was found at 4:23 p.m. lying on the ground in the 4900 block of West End Avenue, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Harris had been shot in the torso and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5 p.m., authorities said. He lived on the same block as the shooting.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help offset funeral expenses for Harris, who was a senior at Foreman High School, and an employee of Home Run Inn.

—Chicago Sun-Times Wire