Todd Coleman | Homicide Watch Chicago

Family: Todd Coleman, 54, shot dead in robbery on his way to work

Michael Lansu — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 08:44:00 -0600

BY SAFIYA MERCHANT
Homicide Watch Chicago

Todd Coleman worked at the World's Finest Chocolate factory for 18 years, but he never lost his "sweet tooth."

The 54-year-old Englewood man was on his way to the Archer Heights neighborhood factory when he was shot to death outside his home in the 1200 block of West 72nd Place about 5:25 a.m. Oct. 28.

“Whoever did this, they took my best friend,” said Tyrone Lofton, Coleman’s oldest son.

Coleman had a strict morning routine that often included packing himself snacks before work, Lofton said.

“My dad was a big sweet tooth, so he packed potato chips, candy bars,” Lofton said. “Even though he worked at the candy factory, he still ate Mr. Goodbars, Snickers and things like that.”

Coleman was on his way to his job when he was shot dead, Lofton said.

Detectives are investigating robbery as a possible motive, but nobody is in custody, police said. Investigators told Lofton that when his father tried to run away the gunman shot him in the back and head, Lofton said.

“The way that they did him, I really can’t make sense of it because who have that much hate in him, that, you know, you got that mad that he tried to get away, that you kill him?” Lofton said. “But, you know, this is Englewood. It’s not new here.”

His father had already been shot once during a robbery in the 1980s, an attack that left him with a bullet in his chin, Lofton said.

“So he was fearful of guns and things like that,” he said.

Coleman had previously worked busing tables and at a parking garage. He had been working at the chocolate factory for about the last 18 years, Lofton said.

Coleman kept to himself and was never part of the street life, Lofton said. He loved to go fishing and liked “nice things.”

“My dad was a very fun and mild-mannered person,” Lofton said. “My dad was a person that stayed to himself. If you knew my dad, you really didn’t see him at all, he stayed by himself ... he didn’t really hang out with nobody, so he didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke or none of that. He smoked cigarettes, that’s it.”

Lofton, the oldest of four siblings, had a very close relationship with his father his entire life.

“We was real close. Pretty much talked about everything,” Lofton said.

As Lofton sorted through his father’s possessions, he joked the process would have frustrated his “neat freak" father.

“If he’d seen this apartment right now, he’d probably go crazy,” Lofton said.

Police said detectives have few leads and are asking anyone in the community with information about the robbery and murder to call Area South detectives at (312) 747-8271.

-- Contributing: Jessica Koscielniak

Photos by Jessica Koscielniak / Sun-Times

WEEK IN REVIEW: 11 murdered throughout city last week

Michael Lansu — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:05:08 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Eleven people were murdered throughout the city last week, and a 12th person died after being shot last August on the South Side.

Despite the violent end to the month, there were fewer murders this October than in October 2011 and 2012. The month also had an eight-day period with only one killing.

November got off to a bloody start with five murders in the first three days.

The most recent murder happened when Lady Diana Sanabria, 31, was found with her throat slashed in her Brighton Park apartment in the 4400 block of South Richmond Street about 7 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Detectives are investigating if the death is domestic-related, police said.

In the Garfield Park neighborhood, Jason Jernigan was found shot in the chest and abdomen area in a vacant lot in the 3300 block of West Van Buren Street about 10:50 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Jernigan, 27, of the 3400 block of West Adams Street, was dead on the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Also in Garfield Park, Luis Villasenor was found shot in an alley in the 4300 block of West End Avenue about 5:25 a.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Villasenor, 27, of the 500 block of West 43rd Street, was shot in the chest and arm and died about 45 minutes later at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, authorities said.

About 6:40 p.m. Saturday, 18-year-old Antonio Cooper was found shot in the chest and back on a West Englewood sidewalk in the 6300 block of South Hermitage Avenue, authorities said.

Cooper, of the 1700 block of West 64th Street, died at 7:23 p.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office. Police said detectives are investigating if the slaying was drug related.

On Friday, Saul Salgado was driving a vehicle that stopped at a red light in the 5600 block of West Fullerton Avenue when another vehicle pulled up and somebody inside opened fire about 4:05 a.m., authorities said.

Salgado, 21, of the 2100 block of North Laramie Avenue, was shot multiple times and died 35 minutes later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, 25-year-old Marcus Gaiter was a passenger in a vehicle when he was shot in the 8600 block of South Morgan Street about 9:45 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.

The driver was not wounded and drove Gaiter, of the 800 block of West 86th Place, to Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers in Evergreen Park, authorities said. He was declared dead at the hospital at 10:33 p.m. Thursday.

In the West Pullman neighborhood, Bobby Pruitt-Williams was standing in the 12100 block of South Union Avenue when he was shot in the head about 12:10 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Pruitt-Williams, 22, of the 500 block of West 125th Street, was dead on the scene when officers arrived, according to the medical examiner's office.

In Logan Square, Sheldon McCraven was shot in the back about 4:35 a.m. Tuesday in the 2600 block of North Sawyer Avenue, authorities said. The shooting happened about a block from the Illinois Centennial Monument and the Logan Square Blue Line stop.

McCraven, 23, who lived on the block, died a short time later at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, the medical examiner's office said.

On Monday, Gregory Daniel was found shot to death in his Austin apartment in the 5300 block of West Adams Street about 9:45 p.m., authorities said. Daniel, 48, had not been in contact with family or friends for days before he was found.

In the North Lawndale neighborhood, Steven Noble, 33, was found shot dead inside a vehicle in the 3300 block of West 16th Street about 2:55 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

In Englewood, police found 54-year-old Todd Coleman dead with multiple gunshot wounds near his home in the 1200 block of West 72nd Place about 5:25 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

Additionally, Lorenzo Feliciano died about 2:45 p.m. Sunday after being shot being shot several times outside his home in the 8500 block of South Oglesby Avenue on Aug. 14, authorities said.

Despite the bloody end to October, murders and shootings were down for the month, police said. There were 33 murders in October 2013, compared to 36 last year and 44 in 2011.

There were only 127 shootings in October -- down significantly from the 210 last year and 232 in 2011.

Police investigate four new murders during bloody 24 hours

Michael Lansu — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 16:28:22 -0500

The city’s homicide count increased by four in less than 24 hours since Monday morning -- marking the most homicides the city has seen in a one-day period in more than two weeks.

The last time Chicago recorded more than four violent deaths in a 24-hour period was Oct. 9, when five people were murdered and an elderly woman was found stabbed to death in her North Side apartment.

The most recent murder occurred in the Logan Square neighborhood when 23-year-old Sheldon McCraven man was shot in the back about 4:35 a.m. Tuesday near his home in the 2600 block of North Sawyer Avenue, authorities said.

The shooting happened about a block from the Illinois Centennial Monument and the CTA Logan Square Blue Line station.

The Logan Square shooting was the latest murder in a bloody 24-hour span where four people were found shot to death.

Chicago Police spokesman Adam Collins said murders are down in 2013 compared to last year.

“While there has been less crime, fewer shootings and fewer murders in Chicago this year, there’s more work to be done and no one will rest until everyone in this city enjoys the same sense of safety,” Collins said via email.

The most recent wave of violence started when police found 54-year-old Todd Coleman dead with multiple gunshot wounds near his home in the 1200 block of West 72nd Street about 5:25 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

About 3 p.m. Monday, police found the body of 33-year-old Steven Noble inside a vehicle in the 3300 block of West 16th Street. He suffered a gunshot wound in his neck.

About 9:45 p.m. Monday, a friend found 48-year-old Gregory Daniel dead in his apartment in the 5300 block of West Adams Street with gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen.

Nobody has been charged for Monday and Tuesday’s murders.

“To reduce violence for the long-term, our state and our country need better laws to keep illegal guns out of our communities and punish the criminals who carry them,” Collins said.

-- Safiya Merchant, Sun-Times Media Wire

Todd Coleman, 54, found shot dead outside Englewood home

Michael Lansu — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 19:42:15 -0500

Todd Coleman, 54, was found shot dead near his Englewood home Monday morning.

Police found Coleman dead with multiple gunshot wounds in the 1200 block of West 72nd Place about 5:25 a.m., authorities said.

Coleman, also of the 1200 block of West 72nd Place, was found next door to his home, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Area South detectives are investigating.