Jeremy Salinas | Homicide Watch Chicago

Omar Hernandez charged with gang-related murder of Jeremy Salinas in Bridgeport

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 16:49:05 -0500

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

Jeremy Salinas was murdered by Satan Disciples the same day members of the gang stole his bicycle and sent pictures of it on social media, Cook County prosecutors said Thursday.

Omar Hernandez | Cook County sheriff's office

Witnesses to the June 10 shooting said the 17-year-old Salinas was gunned down while trying to retrieve his bicycle in Bridgeport.

Omar Hernandez was behind the wheel of the drive-by shooting in the 900 block of 32nd Place, assistant state’s attorney Jennifer Keating said at Hernandez’s bond hearing Thursday.

While Keating didn’t give details as to what Salinas was doing when he was shot outside a home while standing with other Latin Kings that night, she did say Salinas’ bicycle was stolen earlier in the afternoon.

Members of the Satan Disciples had contacted Salinas’ friend over social media, and further taunted the pal with pictures of the bike, prosecutors said.

Salinas’ friend allegedly responded with a message of his own, which included a video of Salinas and others.

Later that day, when Hernandez got into a car with other Satan Disciples, they agreed they would be shooting at any Latin King they saw, Keating said.

When they eyed Salinas and the rest of his group, shots were fired, Keating said.

The gunman who shot Salinas was seated directly behind the 23-year-old Hernandez, Keating said.

Salinas was shot in the left arm. The bullet exited on the right side of his abdomen, and he collapsed immediately. He died on the scene, Keating said.

Witnesses recognized some of the people in the car and were able to give police a description of the vehicle and a partial license plate, Keating said.

A surveillance camera also captured Hernandez and the others getting into the car an hour before the murder, Keating said.

Hernandez was arrested recently in the same car used in the drive-by, Keating said. He allegedly admitted his role in the crime.

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered Hernandez, of the 1400 block of West 18th Street, held on a $1 million bond.

WEEK IN REVIEW: 13 people killed in Chicago violence

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 12:04:00 -0500

By TRISTAN SIMS and JARED LANDSMAN
Homicide Watch Chicago

At least 13 people were killed by violence throughout Chicago last week, eleven of them fatally shot.

The latest homicide, for which a man is in custody, was a fatal stabbing outside a Target in the North Side Uptown neighborhood Sunday night.

The victim, 48-year-old Thomas Sawyer, was stabbed in the neck at 9:45 p.m. during an argument in the 4400 block of North Broadway, police said. Sawyer, believed to have been homeless, died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

In a tweet late Sunday, Ald. James Cappleman said the fight happened over selling socks outside the Target. He called the killing "senseless."

Sunday evening, 31-year-old Byron Floyd was standing on the 900 Block of North Laurel when he was shot in the side and back, and was pronounced dead after being taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, according to the police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Floyd, of the 5500 block of West Cortland, was with two other men about 6:20 p.m. when the shots were fired. A 36-year-old man was shot multiple times and was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, police said. A third man, 31, was shot in the right leg and was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where his condition stabilized.

Earlier Sunday in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, 40-year-old David Martinez Jr. was shot in the head and pronounced dead on the scene in a drive-by on the corner in the 4400 block of South Honore, police said.

Martinez, of the 4500 block of South Washtenaw, was with another man, who was wounded and taken to Stroger hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

On Saturday night, the body of Arthur Wyatt was found inside a dumpster that had been set on fire in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood. An autopsy showed he had been beaten to death.

Firefighters responded to a fire in a dumpster in the alley of the 4200 block of South Kedzie about 10:30 p.m. Saturday and found a body inside. He was identified as the 55-year-old Wyatt, of the 4500 block of South Michigan Avenue.

An autopsy found he died of blunt trauma to the head from an assault, and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

On Saturday, 23-year-old Kelly Burrell was shot while standing on a porch in the Englewood neighborhood, authorities said.

Burrell, who lived on the 7300 block of South Green, where the shootings occurred, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead. The man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and a graze wound to the abdomen.

They were on a porch at 2:50 a.m. when a light-colored vehicle drove up and someone inside fired shots, police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Two killings happened about 15 minutes apart Friday night. On the South Side, 38-year-old Abdula Tate of Dolton was critically injured in a shooting in the Bronzeville neighborhood about 1 a.m.

Tate, who lived in the 14600 block of Greenwood Road in the south suburb, was shot in the chest and abdomen in the 4200 block of South Calumet, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Fifteen minutes earlier, 23-year-old Dennis Hoosier of Midlothian was shot about 12:45 a.m. in an apartment complex in the 8500 block of West Bryn Mawr in the O’Hare area on the Northwest Side.

Hoosier was shot following a dispute with another man in the same complex. On Saturday, 21-year-old Devonte Dotson was charged with the murder. Dotson, who lived on the block where the shooting occurred, was ordered held on a $1 million bond.

Earlier Friday, Benson Collins was walking in the 1000 block of North Leamington at about 11 a.m. when someone in a vehicle fired shots, striking him in the chest and arm. He was not the intended target, a police source said.

Collins, of the 4800 block of West Cortland, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the medical examiner’s office said.

A 26-year-old man was fatally shot in the head and neck on Thursday afternoon, police said. The victim, who had not been identified as of Monday morning, was discovered in the 3500 block of South Western and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

On Wednesday night, 17-year-old Jeremy Salinas was shot to death in an attempt to retrieve his bicycle, which had been stolen earlier in the Bridgeport neighborhood.

Salinas was shot about 8:35 p.m. in the 900 block of West 32nd Place, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Arkeem E. Shepherd, 22, was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the 3000 block of West 63rd Street in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.

Shepherd, of the 1200 block of West 71st Place, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Earlier that day, Devonte Terry was shot near his home in the Gage Park community on the Southwest Side, police said.

The 19-year-old was shot in the back and found unresponsive in the 5600 block of South Artesian at 12:44 a.m. Terry was pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner’s office said.

On Monday around 7 p.m., 35-year-old Kevin Ross was shot in the Washington Heights neighborhood on the South side.

Ross was discovered with several shots in the head and chest in the 9200 block of South Aberdeen, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Ross was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 7:52 p.m. according to the medical examiner’s office.

So far in 2015, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 193 Chicago deaths as homicides, including one person fatally shot by police.

17-year-old Jeremy Salinas slain while retrieving stolen bicycle in Bridgeport

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 11:01:00 -0500

By SAM CHARLES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire
A 17-year-old boy was shot to death in Bridgeport Wednesday night. | Sam Charles/Sun-Times

17-year-old Jeremy Salinas was shot to death while retrieving his stolen bicycle Wednesday night in the Bridgeport neighborhood, according to witnesses at the scene.

Salinas was shot about 8:35 p.m. in the 900 block of West 32nd Place, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Salinas, who lived in the 1200 block of West 31st Place, was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:55 p.m., authorities said.

Witnesses said he was retrieving his bicycle, which had been stolen earlier in the day, when he was shot. The teen was with four other people when he was shot, one witness said.

About three dozen people gathered on the east side of the intersection of 32nd Place and Halsted, many crying and saying they were friends or family of the dead teen. Nearby fireworks could be heard every few minutes.

A group of about 12 people became upset with police as investigators processed the scene, asking why the teen’s body was not taken away by an ambulance and instead left at the scene.

One officer gathered them on the northeast corner of 32nd Place and Halsted, and told them emergency personnel could not have saved him.

“When you see that ambulance not make a move, it’s because they can’t do anything. Whatever happened has happened. We can’t change it. It’s not that we’re not doing anything; we’re trying to do something,” he said. “If you know more to the story than we know, then please step forward and say something.”

Detectives are investigating whether the incident was gang-related.

Wednesday night’s homicide was Bridgeport’s third since May 22.