Jose Garcia | Homicide Watch Chicago

Prosecutors: Killer left bloody footprints then hid in his mom's closet

Michael Lansu — Sun, 31 May 2015 19:16:25 -0500

Jose Guzman / Photo from Chicago Police

BY SAM CHALRES
Chicago Sun-Times

After leaving his bloody footprints all over a Southwest Side murder scene where he’d butchered his aunt and cousin, a 20-year-old man was found two blocks away at his mother’s home, hiding in the closet, prosecutors said.

Then Jose Guzman allegedly confessed that he’d killed his relatives “because he wanted to steal their gold.”

Charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, home invasion causing great bodily harm, aggravated arson and one count of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon, Guzman was denied bail Sunday by Judge Laura Sullivan.

He fatally stabbed his 49-year-old aunt, Maria Herrera, and his cousin Carlos Herrera on Thursday at their home in the 3600 block of West 55th Place, Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Cooper said.

Then he allegedly tried to torch the house.

Maria Herrera’s husband came home Thursday afternoon and saw smoke, Cooper said. He shouted for his wife, but got no response. But when he went into a bedroom, he found his son lying on the ground in a pool of blood, Cooper said. A butcher knife and bludgeon were found next to his body.

After yelling for neighbors to call police and paramedics, he went into the basement of the home and found his wife, also lying in a pool of blood with her legs tied together.

A bloody set of footprints led from where Carlos Herrera was found to another bedroom that appeared to have been ransacked, with dresser drawers pulled out and blood on the handles, Cooper said. A jewelry box was also open on top of the bed.

The footprints then led down to the basement, where Maria Herrera was found. A couch had been set on fire near her body and there was smoke damage in the basement, Cooper said.

Guzman lives with his parents less than two blocks west in the 3800 block of West 55th Place, authorities said. His mother came home Friday and found him in her closet with scratch marks to his ears neck and chest, Cooper said.

Guzman then admitted to his mother that “he is the one that killed them because he wanted to steal their gold,” Cooper said. He then asked his mother to help him flee to Michigan.

His mother instead called relatives, who in turn called the police. Bloody shoes matching the footprints found at the crime scene were found after police executed a search warrant at Guzman’s house, Cooper said.

According to his attorney, Guzman was diagnosed with depression two years ago.

Guzman is scheduled to appear in court again Monday.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Four men shot dead throughout city

Michael Lansu — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:13:58 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Four men were fatally shot throughout Chicago last week, and a south suburban woman was charged with murder for allegedly killing an off-duty police officer when she crashed a van during a high-speed chase.

The most recent murder happened Saturday night when Michael Stewart was fatally shot at a West Englewood party.

Stewart, 35, was at a house party in the 2000 block of West 67th Place when several people began fighting about 11:20 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

One of the males involved in the fight left the party, but then returned and fired shots into the home from the outside, police said.

Stewart, of the 2200 block of West 8th Avenue in Gary, Ind., died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, Harold Cook allegedly fatally shot Terrell Wilson in the 4000 block of West Van Buren Street in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said.

Wilson, 21, was fighting with Cook’s brother when Cook got out of a car, chased Wilson and shot him in the neck about 12:45 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Wilson, of the 1100 block of South Throop Street, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

Cook, 22, of the 4200 block of West West End Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder, authorities said.

On Tuesday, 19-year-old Bernardo Catalan was fatally shot in the 1900 block of North Rockewell Street in the Logan Square community about about 1:05 a.m., authorities said.

Catalan and a 23-year-old man were riding in a car through an alley in when a person exited from a vehicle in front of them and opened fire -- striking both men, authorities said.

The gunman got back in the vehicle and fled, police said. Catalan and the 23-year-old man drove to the nearby Shakespeare District police station.

The wounded men were then taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said. Catalan, of the 2100 block of North Bingham Street, died at the hospital Tuesday night, according to the medical examiner's office.

The killing started when 36-year-old Chad Collins was fatally shot just before 7 p.m. Monday in the 2300 block of East 75th Street in the South Shore neighborhood, authorities said.

Collins, of Harvey, was shot multiple times and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

Additionally, off-duty Chicago Police officer David L. Harris was killed when Shanell Terrell crashed a van into the car Harris was driving home from work as she tried to elude police early Friday on the South Side.

Terrell, 31, allegedly led Calumet Park police on a chase that approached 90 miles per hour, with Terrell swerving across multiple lanes of traffic and entering and exiting the Dan Ryan Expressway. Terrell drove through a red light at West 87th Street and South Lafayette Avenue, smashing into Harris’ Lexus.

The officer, still in his uniform, died at the scene. Harris, a father of two, was part of a Chicago Police Department “saturation” unit dispatched to high-crime areas on the South Side.

The medical examiner's office ruled the death an accident, but the Cook County State's Attorney's office charged Terrell with first-degree murder. Terrell, of Calumet Park, is being held on $10 million bond.

On Thursday, the state's attorney's office upgraded charges against a Hyde Park father whose 3-week-old daughter died this month to first-degree murder.

Emergency medical technician Jose Garcia allegedly shook his 3-week-old daughter Rachel Garcia then threw her in the air about 100 times March 1 at their home in the 5100 block of South Hyde Park Boulevard, prosecutors said. She died three days later after being taken off life support, authorities said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled 57 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide -- including two people killed by police. Additionally, the state's attorney's office filed first-degree murder charges in Harris' death even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, has ruled at least three of the homicides as involuntary manslaughter or justified self-defense.

Prosecutors: 3-week-old died after father threw her in the air more than 100 times at Hyde Park home

Michael Lansu — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:50:34 -0500

Jose Garcia / Photo from Chicago Police

BY WILL HAGER
Homicide Watch Chicago

Emergency medical technician Jose Garcia allegedly shook his 3-week-old daughter then threw her in the air about 100 times prior to her death earlier this month, authorities said.

Assistant State's Attorney Glendon Runk said Garcia was alone with his daughter in their home in the 5100 block of South Hyde Park Boulevard when shook the baby repeatedly and threw her in the air about 100 times within a 30 minute period between 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on March 1.

The infant, Rachel Garcia, became unresponsive and Jose Garcia called 911. The baby was taken to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital and was diagnosed with brain, eye, pulmonary and nervous system injuries, Runk said.

She died three days later after being taken off life support, authorities said. The initial results of an autopsy were inconclusive pending further studies, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, which could not provide further details Thursday afternoon.

Jose Garcia admitted to shaking and throwing the baby in the air, but did not explain why he did so, Runk said.

Jose Garcia, 28, was initially charged with one count of aggravated battery to a child and was worded held on $400,000 bond. He was released from Cook County Jail after posting the required 10 percent of the bond.

The charges were upgraded to murder and Jose Garcia appeared before Judge Donald Panarese Jr. Thursday wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. The judge declined to raise the bond.

Jose Garcia works as an emergency medical technician and served in the military from 2003 to 2007, his attorney said. He has two misdemeanors convictions from 2009 for reckless conduct and battery.

He will be back in court Friday, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.