Dearies Arnold | Homicide Watch Chicago

Prosecutors: Willie Mims used stolen van in Englewood drive-by that killed Dearies Arnold

Michael Lansu — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 15:18:12 -0600

Willie Mims / Photo from Cook County Sheriff's office

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

A man already in jail awaiting trial for possession of a stolen vehicle has now been charged with murder after prosecutors claim he used the vehicle in an August 2014 Englewood drive-by shooting that killed Dearies Arnold.

Arnold, 26, was standing in the 7100 block of South Green Street on Aug. 11, 2014, when a dark minivan approached and Willie Mims fired ten to 20 shots through the open driver's side window, said Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Cooper.

Arnold, of the 7100 block of South Champlain Avenue, was shot multiple times and died less than an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

“He was a nice dude,” said area resident Bud. “He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Friends said Arnold had attended Robeson High School and was focused on taking care of his children. They described him as a well-dressed man who helped others.

Police said Arnold was a documented gang member, but friends denied that claim and called him a “good kid.”

Dearies Arnold / Submitted photo

On Aug. 13, 2014, Mims was arrested and charged for being in possession of a stolen minivan, Cooper said. He is currently being held in Cook County Jail on $75,000 bond on that case, according to court records.

Inside the minivan, investigators found a 9 mm shell casing that matched a shell casing found at the shooting that killed Arnold, Cooper said.

Two witnesses identified Mims as the person driving the minivan who shot Arnold, Cooper said.

Mims, 22, was charged with first-degree murder and Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. denied bail during a Friday bond hearing. Mims will be back in court to face the murder charges Feb. 19.

-- Contributing: Rummana Hussain

Comment of the Day: "It is a [tragedy] that his life was taken from him"

Michael Lansu — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 15:56:18 -0500

Dearies Arnold, 26, was fatally shot this month in the Englewood neighborhood. Reader "Rose" posted this about him:

Dearies was well loved by everyone I feel he is a fine young man always respectable it is a tradgety [sic] that his life was taken from him I pray for his mother all his family an friends I'm praying for everyone RIP Dearies love you always ROSE

WEEK IN REVIEW: 11 killed throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 10:27:07 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eleven people were shot to death in homicides throughout Chicago last week.

Seven of the killings happened over the weekend, when 29 other people were shot and wounded.

The most recent murders happened when 37-year-old James Sterling and 29-year-old Amy Holmes-Sterling were killed in what police are calling a domestic shooting in the 400 block of West 104th Street in Roseland about 9:55 p.m. Sunday, authorities said. A 26-year-old woman was also critically wounded.

Sterling, 37, who lived on the block, and Holmes-Sterling, 29, of the 300 block of East 53rd Street, each died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the Humboldt Park community, 26-year-old Kardeon Glover was shot in the head on a sidewalk in the 900 block of North Karlov Avenue about 1:15 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Glover, of the 4100 block of West Grenshaw Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Saturday, 21-year-old Damian Rodriguez and 16-year-old Jason Seballos were killed in a shooting in the 2300 block of North Springfield Avenue in the Logan Square community about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. An 18-year-old man was also wounded in the shooting, police said.

Rodriguez, 21, of the 2300 block of South Keeler Avenue, was shot in the head and died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the medical examiner's office. Seballos, 16, of an unidentified home address, was shot in the face and back and also died at Illinois Masonic.

In the West Englewood neighborhood, 16-year-old Sharquise Buckner was shot during a drive-by shooting in the 7200 block of South Laflin Street about 12:50 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. A 20-year-old man was also wounded.

Buckner, of the 1400 block of West 72nd Street, was shot in the head and died at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, 25-year-old Walter Neely was shot in the abdomen in the 3400 block of South Indiana Avenue about 11:35 p.m., authorities said. The shooting happened about a block from Chicago Police Headquarters.

Neely, of an unidentified home address, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital less than 30 minutes later, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Thursday, 23-year-old LaDarryl Walters was shot in the head and chest in the 7600 block of South Coles Avenue in the South Shore community about 9:20 p.m., authorities said.

Walters, of the 0-100 block of West 110th Place, died a short time later at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Tuesday, 17-year-old Devonte Carthan was shot while riding his bicycle in the in the 9200 block of South Dobson Avenue in the Burnside neighborhood about 11:30 p.m., authorities said.

Carthan, of the 13200 block of South Langley Avenue, died at Advocate Trinity Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the West Pullman community, 30-year-old Julio Perkins was shot outside his home in the 11600 block of South Stewart Avenue about 2 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Perkins died less than an hour later at Christ Medical Center, according to the examiner’s office.

The killings started when 26-year-old Dearies Arnold was wounded in a drive-by shooting in the 7100 block of South Green Street about 7 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Arnold, of the 7100 block of South Champlain Avenue, was shot multiple times and died less than an hour later at Christ Medical Center, authorities said.

Nobody has been charged for any of the murders.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 254 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including nine people killed by police.

Additionally, the state’s attorney’s office filed first-degree murder charges against a speeding motorist who killed an off-duty police officer while trying to flee police even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Friends: Dearies Arnold would 'give you the shirt off his back'

Michael Lansu — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:31:53 -0500

Dearies Arnold memorial / Photo by Michael Lansu

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Dearies Arnold was a well dressed man who would literally give people the shirt off his back, friends said.

Arnold, 26, was in the 7100 block of South Green Street about 7 p.m. Monday when a white car drove past and someone inside opened fire, authorities said. He was struck multiple times and died from his injuries less than an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

On Tuesday, friends gathered at the intersection of 72nd and Green streets to construct a memorial and share memories.

Dearies Arnold memorial / Photo by Michael Lansu

"He was a nice dude," said area resident Bud. "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Friends said the former Robeson High School student was focused on taking care of his children.

"He would give you his last," said Sedrick Monroe. "If you asked for $20, he'd give it to you."

Friends said Arnold grew up in the area and described him as a well-dressed man who would literally give people the shirt off his back.

Dearies Arnold / Submitted photo

One friend, Robert, recalled a time when he was dirty and Arnold gave him a clean white T-shirt.

Police said Arnold was a documented gang member, but friends denied that claim and called him a "good kid."

After the shooting, the car drove away north on Green Street, police said. Nobody has been charged for the murder as Area Central detectives continue to investigate.

Dearies Arnold shot to death in Englewood

Michael Lansu — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:38:24 -0500

Dearies Arnold was killed in a drive-by shooting Monday night in the Englewood neighborhood.

Arnold, 26, was in the 7100 block of South Green Street when a white car drove past and someone inside opened fire just before 7 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

Arnold, of the 7100 block of South Champlain Avenue, was shot once in his side and twice in his right leg, authorities said. He died less than an hour later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

After the shooting, the car drove away north on Green Street, police said. Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area Central detectives are investigating if the shooting is gang related.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire