WEEK IN REVIEW: In the least-violent week in months, 8 people were killed, but two might've been self-defense

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 14:00:40 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Homicide Watch Chicago

It may not seem like much of a victory, but only eight people were killed in Chicago last week, making it one of the least violent weeks of the entire year.

Statistics compiled by Homicide Watch Chicago show that there have only been four weeks in 2017 when less than 8 people were shot, and the last time it happened was way back in May.

Two of those killing may not be considered homicides by police, but rather cases of self-defense.

A 33-year-old man was killed Sunday morning in a domestic-related shooting in the Clearing neighborhood on the Southwest Side, and police seem to be treating it as a case of self-defense.

At 5:18 a.m., a 30-year-old woman was being battered by Damien Hernandez in the 6900 block of West 65th Street when she pulled out a gun and shot him three times, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was initially taken into custody and police said charges were pending. However, on Tuesday, police said the woman had been released and no charges had been filed.

Similarly, after a Wisconsin man died Sunday night after he was shot the previous day in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, a person of ointerest was released without charges.

Steven Gaines, 51, of Green Bay was involved in an argument with someone at 11:04 a.m. near a vehicle in the 3300 block of West Washington, according to police and the pmedical examiner’s office.

The other person pulled out a firearm and shot Gaines in the head, authorities said. Gaines was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 9:54 p.m. Sunday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

A suspect was taken into custody, but was later released without charges.

In other cases last week:

Damien Santoyo

A 39-year-old man was shot to death late Saturday while driving in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. About 10:40 p.m., Marvin Hines was driving west in the 300 block of West 57th Street when someone fired shots, striking him multiple times in the torso, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The vehicle then struck a fence, police said. Officers eventually found him in the vehicle and he was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
A 46-year-old father of five was shot to death Thursday morning in front of his home in the Southwest Side Gage Park neighborhood. About 11:30 a.m., Abel Melesio was watering his lawn in the 5600 block of South Richmond when a black Cadillac SUV drove by and someone inside fired shots, according to authorities and community activist Andrew Holmes. His family heard the gunfire and ran outside to find Melesio shot twice and lying in the grass, Holmes said. His daughter rode with him in the ambulance to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The killing broke a streak of nearly 72 hours in the city without a fatal shooting.
A 19-year-old man died Tuesday, five days after he was shot in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. Kenyon Hill was in the 700 block of North Lawndale about 2:25 p.m. July 27 when someone shot him in the face, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. About five minutes later, police were led to a home in the 500 block of North Hamlin, where witnesses said a possible suspect was barricaded inside. A SWAT team was on scene until about 7:15 p.m., when police were given consent to search the residence and nobody was found inside. Hill, of the same neighborhood, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 10:27 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. An autopsy Wednesday found he died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.
A 38-year-old man was killed Monday afternoon in a Southwest Side shooting just after he walked out of his Marquette Park neighborhood home. Delano Jones walked out of his home and got into his car just after noon in the 7200 block of South Artesian, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. An SUV pulled up next to him, and someone got out and fired. Jones was shot three times and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died, authorities said. No suspects are in custody.
A man was shot to death early Monday in the Belmont Central neighborhood on the Northwest Side. About 12:20 a.m., 21-year-old Ramon Flores was standing near a porch in the 2400 block of North Meade when another male fired shots from across the street, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Flores, who lived in the neighborhood, suffered a gunshot wound to the right arm, which penetrated his chest, authorities said. He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead.

Father of five Abel Melesio shot to death while watering lawn in front of his home in Gage Park

Jeff Mayes — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 10:08:20 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN and MATTHEW HENDRICKSON
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Abel Melesio | family photo

Father of five Abel Melesio was shot to death Thursday morning while watering the lawn of his home in the Southwest Side Gage Park neighborhood.

About 11:30 a.m., the 46-year-old Melesio was in front of his home watering in the 5600 block of South Richmond when a black Cadillac SUV drove by and someone inside fired shots, according to authorities and community activist Andrew Holmes.

His family heard the gunfire and ran outside to find Melesio shot twice and lying in the grass, Holmes said. His daughter rode with him in the ambulance to Holy Cross Hospital.

Melesio was pronounced dead there at 11:45 a.m., the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

“They’re in shock, total shock,” Holmes said of Melesio’s family.

Melesio was the father of five children—the oldest is 28 and the youngest 15.

The family can’t believe anyone would want to shoot him, and are asking neighbors who have surveillance systems to provide video to police in hope of catching the shooter, Holmes said.

“They’re hoping someone captured something,” he said.

The killing of Melesio broke a streak of nearly 72 hours in the city without a fatal shooting. Before that, the last gun-related homicide occurred about noon on Monday in East Garfield Park.

Holmes asked anyone with information to call the Chicago Survivors tip line at (800) 883-5587, or Area Central detectives at 312-747-8380.

Abel Melesio | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: In the least-violent week in months, 8 people were killed, but two might've been self-defense

Father of five Abel Melesio shot to death while watering lawn in front of his home in Gage Park