Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Rosemary Sobol

Man whose 100 year conviction overturned after 2014 death of girl was shot on Near North Side

2025-07-15T11:54:06.888-05:00

A paraplegic man whose 100 year sentence for his role in the 2014 slaying of 14-year-old Endia Martin was overturned was shot Monday afternoon on the Near North Side, Chicago police said.

Officers were called to the 900 block of North Dearborn Street about 5 p.m. Monday where Donnell A. Flora, now 36, told them he was shot in the leg by an "unknown offender" who was wearing pink shorts, according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Flora was convicted in January 2016 of Endia’s first-degree murder and the attempted first-degree murder of her friend, Lanekia Reynolds. The conviction was overturned on appeal in 2020. Prosecutors said Flora, who was paralyzed in a shooting in 2010 and uses a wheelchair, handed a gun to his niece who was then 14, and she used it to kill Endia.

On Monday, Flora told police he was at Clark and Division streets when the shorts-wearing attacker "approached him and demanded he hand over an item," which he denied having, causing the attacker to shoot him, a police report said.

Flora allegedly gave conflicting statements to paramedics, according to the report, and said he was shot while fighting back during a robbery.

Flora was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital suffering from a "through and through" gunshot wound to the left leg, according to the report. He was listed in good condition.

Police could not find a crime scene or any shell casings because Flora allegedly could not give an exact location where he was shot, the report stated, but a pair of pink shorts was found in a garbage can at 915 N. Dearborn St.

Area 3 detectives are investigating Monday's shooting.

Flora's brother was the father of the girl who committed the shooting, identified as Destiny P. Destiny's father had been killed in a shooting in 2001, and another girl was threatening to kill her. Lanekia was grazed in the arm by Destiny, and Endia was killed, court records show.

Flora testified that he at first said no when Destiny asked to borrow a gun to confront the other girl, but went with her to do so and brought his gun, which he acknowledged was stolen.

He testified that he gave the gun to his niece after they took the bus to the 5600 block of South Halsted Street, and were met by a large group of high school kids, court records show.

Flora couldn't cross Garfield Boulevard in his wheelchair, and told Destiny to give the gun to his cousin, Vandetta Redwood.

After the shooting, Destiny ran back to him, placed the gun wrapped in a jacket into his lap and started to push him in his wheelchair, but was quickly taken into custody, court records show.

Testimony showed Vandetta had given the gun back to Destiny and said, "Shoot that bitch." The court sentenced Flora to 65 years for the first degree murder of Endia and 35 years for the attempted first degree murder of Lanekia, to be served consecutively.

Flora sought to have his conviction overturned on the grounds that "(1) the prosecutor’s closing argument, the court’s rulings, and the sustained objections to his own closing led the jury to misunderstand what the state had to prove to show Mr. Flora was legally responsible for Destiny’s conduct; (2) the state failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he and Destiny shared a common criminal design; and (3) the trial court erred by preventing defense counsel from cross-examining jailhouse witness Tony Polk regarding his extensive criminal history.

The appellate court reversed his convictions for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder and remanded the case for a new trial.

On March 29, 2021, Flora pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with credit for serving 2,527 days behind bars. He was paroled on Aug. 24, 2023.

Chicago area reacts to new pope — 'Everything dope, including the pope, comes from Chicago!'

2025-05-08T16:18:11.295-05:00

Chicago-area Catholics are celebrating the news that South Side-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the first U.S.-born Pope.

Dawn Ribnek, a Catholic born and raised in Chicago, made a pilgrimage to suburban Dolton to visit the pope's childhood home to honor him.

"When I heard the news that our new pope Leo was elected and he was from Chicago ... I was excited, but I also feel, as a Chicago born-and-raised Catholic, that I have a real duty to pray for him," Ribnek told the Sun-Times, "and I figured what better place to pray for the pope than his birthplace home."

Da pope? Chicagoans sound off on the new pontiff

Robert Prevost was born and raised in the Chicago area. He’s taken the name Leo XIV.

By Reset Team

Here are other reactions from Chicagoans on the new pope:

Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon. https://t.co/CBnXVjNhbJ
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) May 8, 2025

“The Pope is from Chicago. This is one of the biggest moments in the modern history of our city. Pope Leo XIV will be a champion for workers all over the world. It’s only right that he was born and educated in the most pro-worker city in America. The Catholic Church has a strong tradition of standing up for the poor and the vulnerable, and I know that Pope Leo XIV will continue that tradition. This is a tremendous moment for our Catholic community and for all Chicagoans. God bless Chicago. God bless Pope Leo XIV.”

— Mayor Brandon Johnson

"We didn't expect the pope to get elected. We were just so excited, it was such a surprise."

— Matthew Naglak, sixth grader at Holy Name Cathedral for class field trip

"They keep telling us 'This is historic, this is the best field trip ever, I'm so happy we're here. I'm sure they will never forget this moment."

— Maggie Reznicek, sixth grade teacher

“It is thrilling to have the first pope from the United States, Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost. This is a historic day. Robert Francis Prevost was a favorite of Pope Francis, who made him cardinal only two years ago. The new pope’s namesake, Leo XIII, was known for his outspoken defense of the rights of working people to a living wage. By taking this name, Pope Leo XIV clearly signals his priorities.”

— Robert Orsi, professor of religion at Northwestern University

“I turned on my TV, and all my staff came here and we all watched and waited…and everybody’s reaction was: ‘An American?!’ So I’m excited. I’m excited because, you know, this guy was a parish priest in Peru, he comes from Chicago, was raised in South Holland, he went to the CTU in Hyde Park.”

— Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Church

A historic moment as we witness the first American leading the Catholic Church.

Hailing from Chicago, Pope Leo XIV ushers in a new chapter that I join those in our state welcoming in at a time when we need compassion, unity, and peace. https://t.co/vkJp5FOl7i
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) May 8, 2025

"So I found myself in Rome on vacation, and I thought I owed it to my Catholic friends to at least attempt to make it to Vatican City today, just in case I saw some type of smoke ... The tour guide that I had a couple days ago messaged me mid speech of the pope, and he was like, he's from Chicago, just like you. And that's kind of when I when I realized exactly who and where this pope is from. So it was just, overall, such a wonderful experience. And it was, it was, I think the thing it reminds me of is, honestly, like the 2008 Obama election in Chicago and just everyone kind of moving together in an excited fashion, a peaceful type of gathering excitement."

— Sabeen Shamsi, of Darien

“It’s pretty cool in general … Illinois is the only state and Chicago is the only [American] city to ever have a pope. I’m sure Peru feels the same way considering he spent a lot of time there.”

— Sean Garvey, 26, of the Gold Coast

“Looking at the state of the church in America, I think having a pope from the United States…I’m sure we will experience growth in the United States and in the nation."

— Reverend Gosbert Rwezahura, pastor of Christ Our Savior Catholic Church

"I'm just excited. I got more excited when I found out he was from here, to be honest...when he's from the area you're from and so familiar with, it's just, it has a totally different feeling."

— Bob Gorman, of Dolton

"We are children of God first and foremost. While there's a sense that we're proud he's from Chicago, we're proud that this is the first pope from the United States of America. Of course that's a sense of pride, but Pope Leo XIV is a child of God first and that means he is here to serve all of God's people."

— Bishop Lawrence Sullivan, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV! pic.twitter.com/s02yDDegQd
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 8, 2025

Well, would you look at that... Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV pic.twitter.com/U5DJ7TOyDr
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 8, 2025

Chicago reacciona al nuevo papa: ‘¡Todo lo bueno, incluido el papa, viene de Chicago!’

2025-05-08T15:55:27.487-05:00

Los católicos del área de Chicago celebran la noticia de que el cardenal Robert Prevost, nacido en lado sur, fue elegido el primer papa nacido en Estados Unidos.

Dawn Ribnek, católica nacida y criada en Chicago, viajó a Dolton, suburbio de Chicago, para visitar la casa donde el papa pasó su infancia y rendirle homenaje.

“Cuando me enteré de la elección de nuestro nuevo papa León XIV, originario de Chicago me emocioné, pero también siento, como católica nacida y criada en Chicago, que tengo el verdadero deber de rezar por él”, declaró Ribnek al Sun-Times, “y pensé que qué mejor lugar para rezar por el papa que su ciudad natal”.

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Estas son algunas reacciones de los habitantes de Chicago sobre el nuevo papa:

“El papa es de Chicago. Este es uno de los momentos más importantes de la historia moderna de nuestra ciudad. El papa León XIV será un defensor de los trabajadores de todo el mundo. Es lógico que naciera y se educara en la ciudad más a favor de los trabajadores de Estados Unidos. La Iglesia católica tiene una sólida tradición de defender a los pobres y vulnerables, y sé que el papa León XIV continuará con esa tradición. Este es un momento importante para nuestra comunidad católica y para todos los habitantes de Chicago. Que Dios bendiga Chicago. Que Dios bendiga al papa León XIV”.
— Alcalde Brandon Johnson, quien en X, publicó: ‘¡Todo lo bueno, incluido el papa, viene de Chicago!’

“No esperábamos que el papa fuera elegido. Estábamos tan emocionados, fue una gran sorpresa".
— Matthew Naglak, alumno de sexto grado en la Catedral del Santo Nombre durante una excursión escolar

“No paran de decirnos: ‘Esto es histórico, esta es la mejor excursión de la historia, estoy tan feliz de estar aquí. Estoy segura de que nunca olvidarán este momento'”.
— Maggie Reznicek, maestra de sexto grado

“Es emocionante tener al primer papa de Estados Unidos, Robert Francis Prevost, nacido en Chicago. Este es un día histórico. Robert Francis Prevost era uno de los favoritos del papa Francisco, quien lo nombró cardenal hace tan sólo dos años. El homónimo del nuevo papa, León XIII, era conocido por su defensa del derecho de los trabajadores a un salario digno. Al adoptar este nombre, el papa León XIV deja claras sus prioridades”.
— Robert Orsi, profesor de religión en la Universidad Northwestern

El Papa Francisco estrechando la mano en 2023 del cardenal Robert Prevost, quien creció en el área de Chicago. Prevost es el sucesor del papa y eligió el nombre de León XIV.

Noticias del Vaticano

“Prendí la televisión y todo mi personal vino aquí, observando y esperando y la reacción de todos fue: ‘¡¿Un estadounidense?!’. Así que estoy emocionado. Estoy emocionado porque, este hombre fue párroco en Perú, viene de Chicago, se crió en [la provincia] Holanda Meridional y estudió en la Unión Teológica Católica de Chicago (CTU) en Hyde Park”.
— Padre Michael Pfleger, párroco de la Iglesia de Santa Sabina

“En general, es genial… Illinois es el único estado y Chicago es la única ciudad [estadounidense] que ha tenido un papa. Estoy seguro de que Perú piensa lo mismo, considerando que pasó mucho tiempo allá”.
— Sean Garvey

“Viendo el estado de la iglesia en Estados Unidos, creo que tener un papa estadounidense estoy seguro de que experimentaremos un crecimiento en Estados Unidos y en la nación”.
— Reverendo Gosbert Rwezahura, párroco de la Iglesia Católica de Cristo Nuestro Salvador

Traducido por La Voz Chicago

Slain man was reputed Spanish Cobras boss tied to two grisly murders

2025-03-24T13:51:04.825-05:00

When police began investigating a double killing on the South Side last week, they realized one of the dead men was a reputed gang boss suspected in two horrific slayings more than a decade ago.

Adalberto “Sabu” Santiago, a member of the Spanish Cobras, was found dead Friday afternoon with a bullet in his back inside a home in the 6100 block of South Justine Street in Englewood, according to police and court records.

Another man, Cesar Cervantes, was found nearby with at least four bullet wounds. His head was covered with a plastic bag that was secured with duct tape and his hands and feet were bound with zip ties. A black .38-caliber revolver was on the floor next to his head.

The 59-year-old Santiago was wearing black gloves when he was killed. He may have robbed and shot Cervantes when a third person then shot Santiago, a police source said.

A witness told police she heard gunshots in the house about 1:30 p.m. Friday and saw a man run out the back door, according to a police report.

Cervantes, 45, had lived in the home, the report said.

No one's been arrested in the killings.

Adalberto Santiago

Cook County sheriff’s office

In 2019, Santiago was released from federal prison after serving a 20-year sentence for a drug conviction. His parole ended in late 2024.

In that case, prosecutors tried to boost his sentence with allegations that he was a Spanish Cobras “governor” who orchestrated the 2004 suffocation and dismemberment of jewelry store owner Jesus Colon.

Colon was abducted, and the kidnappers demanded $100,000 from his family, but when a man sent to pick up the money was arrested, Santiago and his associates decided to kill Colon, prosecutors said.

Colon, whose mouth was duct-taped, was suffocated and his neck was broken before he was dismembered with a chainsaw, authorities said.

Prosecutors had provided the judge with chilling statements from witnesses who implicated Santiago in that killing, but he was never charged with the crime. So the judge refused to consider Colon’s death as a reason to add to Santiago’s sentence. Federal prosecutors had been seeking a life sentence for Santiago.

Former assistant U.S. attorney Sergio Acosta (center), shown in 2016, prosecuted Spanish Cobras boss Adalberto “Sabu” Santiago, found slain in an Englewood home Friday.

Ashlee Rezin /Sun-Times file

"This was particularly gruesome and heinous," Sergio Acosta, a former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Santiago, said of Colon's killing. "It was depravity."

In 2014, while Santiago was in prison for his federal drug conviction, he was charged with the 2001 killing of Ramon Torres. Santiago was accused of stabbing and shooting Torres in a bathtub during a home invasion.

Cook County prosecutors said Santiago’s DNA profile was entered into a national registry after he was sentenced in his federal drug case in 2009, beginning a process that connected him to Torres’ killing. Santiago’s DNA matched blood found in the tub, according to prosecutors, who believed he'd cut his hand with the knife he used to kill Torres.

Santiago denied he'd ever met Torres, and a jury acquitted him of murder charges, court records show.

Wild shoot-out at O'Hare sparked by self-proclaimed rappers' feud after Spirit Airlines flight

2025-03-13T13:30:32.728-05:00

A wild shoot-out exposed the lack of license plate readers at O’Hare Airport, where gunmen fled in cars after wounding a self-proclaimed rapper, police sources say.

“How is it that we don’t have those readers at the airport when we have them all over the city?” a police supervisor said, adding that such readers could have helped in the investigation.

Nearly 60 shell casings were retrieved outside Terminal 2 after two rappers from Austin and their West Side companions deboarded a Spirit Airlines flight and got into a violent argument in baggage claim, leading to the shooting at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday.

Chicago police officials haven’t announced a motive for the attack in the arrivals area on the lower level. But they know two separate groups stepped off a flight from Houston and made their way to baggage claim, where the quarrel between the rappers erupted, according to a police report and sources.

Screaming expletives and throwing punches, the brawl escalated and moved into a vestibule before spilling into the street outside.

After someone in the melee called a “gun car,” its occupants jumped out and began firing an AK-47-type rifle and a 9mm gun at people on the sidewalk, a police source said.

“Multiple male offenders began to open fire at each other,’’ read to the police report, which showed evidence technicians recovered 57 shell casings.

The groups, which one witness said “scattered,” sped away in several dark-colored or tan vehicles, the report said.

Meanwhile, paramedics tended to one of the rappers, who was shot twice in both legs. He was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he was recovering and said to be in good condition.

The 25-year-old man has been arrested twice since 2021 on felony gun possession charges, court records show.

Detectives interviewed someone after the attack, but no one was in custody Thursday.

Antonio Reyes supuestamente asesinó tanto a desconocidos como a amigos cercanos

2025-03-07T13:20:13.43-06:00

Los fiscales dicen que el presunto asesino en serie Antonio Reyes eligió a las víctimas al azar: un padre con sus hijos que iban a comprar un cachorro; un joven conductor de UPS esperando para recoger a un amigo; un hombre que se dirigía a una gasolinera.

Pero los amigos de Reyes también estaban entre sus objetivos, según la madre de una de sus presuntas víctimas y los registros de un caso relacionado.

Otros documentos describen a Reyes como un violento pandillero que se hacía llamar “Redrum” (asesinato escrito al revés).

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Se sospecha que pidió a dos amigos que mataran a un testigo en su contra, un asesinato que Reyes supuestamente ordenó mientras estaba en un centro de detención juvenil.

Y en un giro extraño, otro de los amigos de Reyes presuntamente disparó y mató a un oficial de policía de Chicago después de pelearse con la madre de Reyes.

Reyes fue arrestado en 2020 en relación con un asesinato y un tiroteo, pero la policía lo consideró sospechoso de varios asesinatos, todos cometidos en un lapso de nueve meses cuando tenía 16 o 17 años.

Durante los siguientes cuatro años, la policía dijo que construyó otros casos (a través de balística y mensajes en las redes sociales) y acusó a Reyes de cinco asesinatos más.

Las presuntas víctimas de Antonio Reyes

Antonio Reyes' alleged victims

¿Reyes conocía a algunas de las víctimas?

Al anunciar los nuevos cargos la semana pasada, la fiscal estatal del Condado de Cook, Eileen O’Neill Burke, dijo a los periodistas que “ninguna de estas personas había conocido a Antonio Reyes antes, y no hay razón para sospechar que Antonio Reyes tuviera alguna razón para atacarlos”.

Pero la madre de Damián Durán, una de las presuntas víctimas de Reyes, dijo que su hijo había sido amigo de Reyes en los meses antes de que el joven de 16 años fuera encontrado muerto a tiros en un callejón a una milla de su casa en mayo de 2020.

Marlén Rangel dijo que conoció a Reyes unas semanas antes de que mataran a su hijo, e intercambió mensajes molestos de texto con Reyes en las horas posteriores al hallazgo del cuerpo de Durán.

Rangol dijo que tuvo un mal presentimiento sobre Reyes la primera vez que lo vio llegar a su casa en la primavera de 2020 para recoger a Durán. Reyes tenía la misma edad que su hijo, 16 años de edad, pero parecía mayor, contó.

“Corrí hacia el auto y le dije ‘¿quién diablos eres?’ Porque necesito saber con quién están mis hijos”, recordó. “Le dije: ‘Te estoy viendo, sé qué auto manejas y tengo tu número de placa’”.

Reyes y Durán pasaron mucho tiempo juntos durante las semanas siguientes, y el 1 de mayo, un conductor de un servicio de transporte se detuvo en la casa de Rangel para recoger a Durán. Rangel dijo que cree que Reyes llevó a su hijo a su muerte y envió al conductor porque sabía que ella vigilaba de cerca los vehículos que llegaban a su casa.

Horas después de que Durán se fuera con el conductor, los detectives tocaron a la puerta de Rangel y preguntaron por los tatuajes y otras marcas de identificación de su hijo. Presa del pánico, Rangel le pidió a su hija que se comunicara con Reyes en Snapchat. Rangel envió mensajes a Reyes, preguntándole por su hijo.

“Dijo que dejó a mi hijo en la calle 55 y yo le dije: ‘¡Sé que estás mintiendo! ¡Los detectives estaban aquí! ¡Mi hijo está muerto!’”, dijo Rangel. El último mensaje que recibió de Reyes fue escalofriante. “Dijo: ‘Por eso tu hijo se va a pudrir en el infierno’”.

El asesinato de Durán está entre los cinco nuevos casos de asesinato presentados contra Reyes el mes pasado. Rangel dijo que casi perdió la esperanza de que la policía resolviera el caso de su hijo.

“Ha pasado mucho tiempo”, dijo. “Me alegré cuando lo arrestaron y lo metieron a la cárcel”.

Seis asesinatos en nueve meses

Según los fiscales, Reyes había matado a dos hombres antes de Durán y mataría a otros tres en los meses posteriores, un total de seis asesinatos en nueve meses.

Los asesinatos ocurrieron en los vecindarios de Gage Park, Brighton Park y Clearing en el lado suroeste. El primer y el último ataque ocurrieron a un par de millas uno del otro en la calle 59.

En tres de los asesinatos, los disparos se realizaron desde un automóvil que pasaba. No está claro en los informes policiales si había otras personas en el automóvil además del pistolero.

La cuadra 2600 al oeste de 59th Street, donde Francisco Magana, de 31 años, fue presuntamente asesinado por Antonio Reyes en marzo de 2020. | Vincent Alban/Para el Sun-Times

En el primer asesinato vinculado a Reyes, los testigos le dijeron a la policía que había dos tiradores. Dispararon contra Francisco Magaña mientras cruzaba el oeste de 59th Street cerca de Washtenaw Avenue en marzo de 2020, según un reporte de policía.

Después de que Magaña cayera al suelo, uno de los tiradores se acercó a Magaña y disparó varios tiros más al hombre caído a quemarropa, deteniéndose sólo cuando el segundo hombre gritó: "¡Vámonos! ¡Se acabó!”, según el informe.

Reyes es el único acusado del asesinato de Magaña.

Un mes después, Claudio Cossío estaba estacionado en doble fila en la cuadra 4100 al sur de Sacramento, esperando recoger a un amigo para jugar baloncesto. Reyes supuestamente se detuvo al lado de Cossío y abrió fuego el 5 de abril, matando al trabajador de UPS de 20 años.

La familia de Cossío dijo que ni ellos ni Cossío conocían a Reyes.

Durán fue asesinado un mes después. La policía que respondió a una alerta de ShotSpotter encontró al joven de 16 años tendido boca abajo en un callejón en la cuadra 5200 al sur de Homan, con heridas de bala en el torso, el cuello y la cabeza. Los testigos dijeron que alguien con una sudadera con capucha gris le disparó a Durán y corrió por un callejón.

Un mes después, Luis Dávalos García estaba estacionado en doble fila en la cuadra 5800 al sur de Rockwell Street, esperando a que su novia saliera de su casa, cuando Reyes se detuvo en un sedán Lincoln MKZ y disparó contra el auto de Dávalos García, según la policía.

Dávalos García, un representante de mercadotecnia sin antecedentes penales, no conocía a Reyes, dijeron las autoridades.

Los fiscales dicen que el motivo no tenía nada que ver con Dávalos García. Reyes estaba “devastado” porque su novia rompió con él, según los fiscales. Minutos antes de que le disparara a Dávalos García, los fiscales dijeron que Reyes le envió un mensaje de que “iba a matar a un rey”, una referencia a una pandilla, y le envió una foto de él mismo sosteniendo un arma mientras conducía cerca de la escena del crimen.

Y con sólo un día de diferencia en noviembre de 2020, los fiscales dicen que Reyes mató a José Martínez y Justin Gonzales en ataques aparentemente aleatorios.

Los reportes de policía indican que Reyes se detuvo frente al auto de Martínez en la cuadra 3400 al oeste de 55th Street y disparó cinco tiros al auto, matando a Martínez, que llevaba a sus tres hijos a recoger un cachorro.

Al día siguiente, Reyes presuntamente mató a tiros a Justin Gonzáles, que estaba en su auto esperando para recoger a su novia en la cuadra 4700 al oeste de 59th Street. Reyes también enfrenta cargos de intento de asesinato por un tiroteo que tuvo lugar dos semanas después, cuando supuestamente abrió fuego contra un hombre de 27 años, rozándole el cuero cabelludo.

La víctima dijo a la policía que nunca había visto a Reyes hasta el día del tiroteo, cuando notó que el adolescente lo seguía en un Jeep rojo y le lanzaba miradas intimidantes al hombre mayor mientras hacía sus deberes en Gage Park.

Reyes vinculado a otros asesinatos

Reyes fue arrestado en diciembre y acusado del asesinato de Dávalos García, pero los asesinatos no pararon, dicen las autoridades.

Poco después de que aterrizó en un centro de detención juvenil, Reyes llamó a su amigo de 18 años, George Reyes, y supuestamente le dijo que “cuidara” de su amigo Sebastián Serrano porque Serrano iba a testificar en su contra en el caso del asesinato de Dávalos García, según los documentos de la acusación. George y Antonio Reyes no están relacionados, según los fiscales.

Otro amigo, Andrés Giler, de 19 años de edad, sacó a Serrano de su casa mediante mensajes de texto y llamadas, según los fiscales. Giler estaba hablando por teléfono con Serrano cuando George Reyes disparó, dijeron los fiscales.

George Reyes y Giler se han declarado culpables de los cargos de asesinato por la muerte de Serrano. Antonio Reyes no enfrenta cargos en relación con el asesinato.

Rangel vivía a pocas cuadras de Serrano y sabía que Serrano también había sido amigo de Antonio Reyes. “Todos se conocían”, dijo.

Oficial Andrés Vásquez Lasso | Departamento de Policía de Chicago

Otro amigo de Antonio Reyes ha sido acusado del tiroteo fatal del oficial de policía de Chicago Andrés Vásquez Lasso en 2023.

La madre de Antonio Reyes había llamado al 911 para informar que su “marido” la perseguía con una pistola. Vásquez Lasso estaba entre los oficiales que llegaron a su casa en la cuadra 5200 al sur de Spalding Ave. Steven Montaño, de 18 años de edad, huyó de la casa portando una pistola, y Vásquez Lasso lo persiguió hacia una escuela primaria al cruzar la calle.

Mientras los niños jugaban en un patio de recreo, la policía dijo que Montaño se dio la vuelta y le disparó a Vásquez Lasso, quien disparó un tiro que le dio a Montaño en la mejilla. Mientras Vásquez Lasso estaba moribundo, otro oficial dijo que el herido Montaño se levantó y comenzó a caminar hacia él, diciendo, “Sólo mátame”.

El oficial atacó a Montaño con una pistola eléctrica.

Montaño, que ahora tiene 20 años, se declaró inocente de los cargos por el asesinato de Vásquez Lasso. Los registros judiciales describen a la madre de Antonio Reyes, de 37 años de edad, como la novia de Montaño. El Sun-Times no pudo comunicarse con la madre de Reyes para obtener comentarios.

Traducido por Gisela Orozco para La Voz Chicago

Accused teen serial killer Antonio Reyes allegedly murdered strangers, friends

2025-03-06T10:50:37.882-06:00

Prosecutors say suspected serial killer Antonio Reyes chose victims at random: A father with his children, shopping for a puppy. A young UPS driver waiting to pick up a friend. A man on his way to a gas station.

But Reyes’ friends were also among his targets, according to the mother of one of his alleged victims as well as records in a related case.

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Other documents describe Reyes as a violent gang member who went by the nickname "Redrum" — murder spelled backwards.

He is suspected of asking two friends to kill a witness against him, a hit Reyes allegedly ordered while in juvenile detention.

And in a bizarre twist, another of Reyes’ friends allegedly shot and killed a Chicago police officer after getting into a fight with Reyes’ mother.

Reyes was arrested in 2020 in connection to a murder and a shooting, but police considered him a suspect in several murders — all committed over a nine-month span when he was 16 or 17.

During the next four years, police said they built up other cases — through ballistics and social media messages — and charged Reyes with five more killings.

Antonio Reyes' alleged victims

Did Reyes know any of the victims?

In announcing the new charges last week, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke told reporters that "none of these people had ever met Antonio Reyes before, and there’s no reason to suspect Antonio Reyes had any reason to target them."

But the mother of Damian Duran, one of Reyes’s alleged victims, said her son had been friends with Reyes in the months before the 16-year-old was found shot dead in an alley about a mile from her home in May 2020.

Marlen Rangel said she met Reyes a few weeks before her son was killed, and exchanged furious text messages with Reyes in the hours after Duran’s body was found.

Rangel said she had a bad feeling about Reyes the first time she saw him pull up to her house in the spring of 2020 to pick up Duran. Reyes was the same age as her son, 16, but looked older, she said.  

"I ran up to the car and said, 'Who the f--- are you?' Because I need to know who my kids are with," she recalled. "I told him, 'I see you, I know what car you drive, and I’ve got your license plate.'"

Reyes and Duran hung out a lot during the weeks that followed, and on May 1 a driver for a ride-hailing service pulled up to Rangel’s house to pick up Duran. Rangel says she believes Reyes lured her son to his death and sent the driver because he knew she closely watched the vehicles that came to her house.

Hours after Duran left with the driver, detectives knocked on Rangel’s door, asking about her son's tattoos and other identifying marks. Panicked, Rangel asked her daughter to reach out to Reyes on Snapchat. Rangel messaged back and forth with Reyes, asking him about her son.

"He said he dropped my son off on 55th Street and I said, 'I know you’re lying! The detectives were here! My son is dead!'" Rangel said. The last message she received from Reyes was chilling. "He said, 'That’s why your son is going to rot in hell.'"

Duran’s murder is among the five new murder cases filed against Reyes last month. Rangel said she almost gave up hope that police would solve her son’s case.

"It has been a long time," she said. "I was glad when they arrested him and put him in jail."

Six murders in nine months

According to prosecutors, Reyes had killed two men before Duran and would kill three others in the months after that — a total of six murders over nine months.

The killings occurred in the Gage Park, Brighton Park and Clearing neighborhoods on the Southwest Side. The first and last attacks occurred a couple of miles from each other on 59th Street.

In three of the killings, the shots were fired from a passing car. It’s unclear from police reports whether other people were in the car besides the gunman.

The 2600 block of West 59th Street, where 31-year-old Francisco Magana was allegedly killed by Antonio Reyes in March 2020

Vincent Alban/For the Sun-Times

In the first murder linked to Reyes, witnesses told police there were two shooters. They fired at Francisco Magana as he walked across West 59th Street near Washtenaw Avenue in March of 2020, according to a police report.

After Magana fell to the ground, one of the shooters walked over to Magana and fired several more shots at the fallen man from point-blank range, stopping only when the second man yelled, "Let’s go! It’s over!" according to the report.

Reyes is the only one to have been charged with Magana’s murder.

A month later, Claudio Cossio was doubled-parked in the 4100 block of South Sacramento, waiting to pick up a friend to play basketball. Reyes allegedly pulled up next to Cossio and opened fire April 5, killing the 20-year-old UPS worker.

Cossio’s family said neither they nor Cossio knew Reyes.

Duran was killed a month later. Police responding to a ShotSpotter alert found the 16-year-old lying face down in an alley in the 5200 block of South Homan, with gunshot wounds to his torso, neck and head. Witnesses said someone in a gray hooded sweatshirt fired at Duran and ran down an alley.

A month later, Luis Davalos Garcia was double-parked in the 5800 block of South Rockwell Street, waiting for his girlfriend to come out of her house, when Reyes pulled up in a Lincoln MKZ sedan and fired into Davalos Garcia’s car, police say.

Davalos Garcia, a marketing representative with no criminal background, did not know Reyes, authorities said.

Prosecutors say the motive had nothing to do with Davalos Garcia. Reyes was "devastated" because his girlfriend broke up with him, according to prosecutors. Minutes before Davalos Garcia was shot, prosecutors said Reyes sent her a message that he was "going to kill a King," a reference to a gang, and sent a picture of himself holding a gun as he drove near the murder scene.

And just a day apart in November 2020, prosecutors say Reyes killed Jose Martinez and Justin Gonzales in apparently random attacks.

Police reports indicate Reyes pulled up to Martinez’s car in the 3400 block of West 55th Street and fired five shots into the car, killing Martinez, who was taking his three children to pick up a puppy.   

The next day, Reyes allegedly gunned down Justin Gonzales, who was in his car waiting to pick up his girlfriend in the 4700 block of West 59th Street. Reyes also faces attempted murder charges for a shooting that took place two weeks later, when he allegedly opened fire on a 27-year-old man, grazing his scalp.

The victim told police he had never seen Reyes until the day of the shooting, when he noticed the teen following him in a red Jeep and giving the older man dirty looks as he ran errands in Gage Park.

Reyes tied to other killings

Reyes was arrested in December and charged with the murder of Davalos Garcia, but the killing did not stop, authorities say.

Soon after he landed in juvenile detention, Reyes placed a call to his 18-year-old friend, George Reyes, and allegedly told him to "take care of" their friend Sebastian Serrano because Serrano was going to testify against him in the Davalos Garcia murder case, according to charging documents. George and Antonio Reyes are not related, according to prosecutors.

Another friend, 19-year-old Andres Giler, lured Serrano out of his house over text messages and calls, according to prosecutors. Giler was on the phone with Serrano as George Reyes opened fire, prosecutors said.

George Reyes and Giler both have pleaded guilty to murder charges in Serrano’s death. Antonio Reyes faces no charges in connection with the killing.

Marlen Rangel lived only a few blocks from Serrano, and knew Serrano also had been friends with Antonio Reyes. "They all knew each other," she said.

Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso

Chicago Police Department

Another friend of Antonio Reyes has been charged with the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso in 2023.

Antonio Reyes’ mother had called 911 to report her "husband" was chasing her with a gun. Vasquez Lasso was among the officers who arrived at her house in the 5200 block of South Spalding. Eighteen-year-old Steven Montano fled the house carrying a gun, and Vasquez Lasso chased him toward an elementary school across the street.

As children played on a playground, police said Montano turned back and fired at Vasquez Lasso, who got off a shot that hit Montano in his cheek. As Vasquez Lasso lay dying, another officer said the wounded Montano got up and began walking toward him, saying, "Just kill me."

The officer tazed Montano.

Now 20, Montano has pleaded not guilty to charges in Vasquez Lasso’s murder. Court records describe Antonio Reyes’ 37-year-old mother as Montano’s girlfriend. The Sun-Times was unable to reach Reyes’ mother for comment.

Reacción rápida de piloto de Southwest Airlines evita desastre en el Aeropuerto Midway

2025-02-26T14:08:23.224-06:00

Un avión de Southwest Airlines que intentaba aterrizar en el Aeropuerto Midway casi se estrella con un jet de negocios que se había cruzado en su camino el martes por la mañana, según la Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA).

Las autoridades dijeron que el incidente ocurrió poco antes de las 9 a.m., cuando el vuelo 2504 de Southwest Airlines procedente de Omaha, Nebraska, intentaba aterrizar.

En un video del incidente publicado en las redes sociales, se ve al vuelo de Southwest cerca de tocar tierra y luego despegando mientras un jet comercial más pequeño cruza su trayectoria. El vuelo de Southwest regresó al aire antes de aterrizar de manera segura y “sin incidentes”, según un comunicado enviado por correo electrónico de Southwest Airlines.

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Caley Maszk, residente de Omaha, estaba mirando por la ventana del avión de Southwest mientras descendía y se acercaba al suelo. Dijo que se sentía como si el avión estuviera “a pulgadas” del suelo antes de que “de repente comenzáramos a subir de nuevo”.

Maszk, de 32 años de edad, y los otros pasajeros estaban confundidos pero no alarmados, contó. Minutos después, el piloto les explicó con calma que había un avión en la pista y que su llegada se retrasaría un poco.

“No pensamos que hubiera pasado nada porque estaba muy tranquilo”, recordó Maszk. “Cuando bajamos del avión nadie habló de eso”.

Después de una escala de una hora en Midway, Maszk abordó otro avión a Dallas. Fue sólo cuando aterrizó en Texas que vio el video del incidente y se dio cuenta de lo cerca que ella y sus compañeros de viaje habían estado del desastre.

“Justo aterrizamos en Dallas cuando vimos el video; nos quedamos en shock, porque no sabíamos que éramos ese avión que casi choca con otro avión”, dijo Maszk. “Fue una locura”.

La tripulación del vuelo de Southwest tuvo que iniciar una maniobra de “vuelta al aire” para evitar el avión que estaba en la pista sin autorización, dijo Steve Kulm, de la FAA.

Bill Bernal, presidente del sindicato de asistentes de vuelo de Southwest Airlines, TWU Local 556, elogió las acciones de las tripulaciones de vuelo a bordo.

“Aplaudimos las habilidades de los miembros de TWU Local 556, los auxiliares de vuelo de Southwest Airlines a bordo y la rapidez de pensamiento y las acciones de los pilotos, miembros de la Asociación de Pilotos de Southwest Airlines”, dijo Bernal en un comunicado. “La dedicación al entrenamiento y la experiencia salvaron vidas hoy”.

El piloto del jet privado, propiedad de Flexjet, pareció malinterpretar las instrucciones de un controlador de tráfico aéreo, según el audio de LiveATC.net.

Una vez que el avión de Southwest alcanzó los 3,000 pies, el piloto preguntó: “Eh, ¿cómo pasó eso?”.

No hubo informes de heridos, dijo el Departamento de Bomberos de Chicago (CFD).

Maszk dijo que estaba muy agradecida de que el piloto de Southwest tuviera experiencia y que su entrenamiento hubiera servido, y agregó que su actitud tranquila evitó que los pasajeros entraran en pánico. “Si alguna vez tengo la oportunidad de verlo, le daré un gran abrazo porque estoy muy agradecida”, agregó.

Southwest Airlines, que no reveló el número de pasajeros a bordo, confirmó que la tripulación “realizó una maniobra de aproximación preventiva” para evitar un posible conflicto con otra aeronave que entró en la pista.

Los mostradores de facturación de Southwest Airlines en Midway estaban prácticamente vacíos más tarde ese mismo día, el martes.

Kaitlin Washburn/Sun-Times

Un portavoz de Flexjet dijo en un correo electrónico que la compañía estaba “al tanto de lo que ocurrió hoy en Chicago”.

“Flexjet se adhiere a los más altos estándares de seguridad y estamos llevando a cabo una investigación exhaustiva. Se tomarán todas las medidas necesarias para rectificar y garantizar los más altos estándares de seguridad”, comentó un portavoz de Flexjet.

El portavoz no respondió a las preguntas sobre cómo ocurrió el casi choque o por qué su aeronave estaba en la pista.

La Junta Nacional de Seguridad del Transporte (NTSB) y la FAA están investigando.

El representante Jesús “Chuy" García pidió una investigación completa del incidente en una declaración publicada en X.

“Gracias a Dios nadie resultó herido en el casi choque de Midway. Fue algo muy peligroso y necesitamos saber cómo sucedió. Voy a presionar para que se haga una investigación completa para mantener seguros nuestros cielos y aeropuertos. Por eso los recortes a la FAA son peligrosos”, destacó García.

El audio del control del tráfico aéreo deja en claro que el avión comercial no hizo caso de las instrucciones claras de no cruzar la pista, dijo Jeff Guzzetti, ex miembro de la NTSB y ex investigador de la FAA.

Guzzetti lo calificó como una “incursión muy grave en la pista”, pero agregó: “Sin embargo, no se está cayendo el cielo porque el año pasado se registró el número más bajo de incursiones graves en la pista en una década”.

Hubo 22 de estos eventos graves en 2023, pero sólo siete en 2024, destacó, citando datos de la FAA.

Es poco probable que el casi choque del martes levante la confianza de los pasajeros después de otros incidentes de alto perfil en todo el país.

El último accidente destacado que ocurrió en Midway fue en diciembre de 2005, cuando un vuelo de Southwest aterrizó en medio de una tormenta de nieve y se salió de la pista, chocando contra varios autos en Central Avenue y matando a un niño de 6 años de edad.

En las últimas semanas han ocurrido cuatro grandes desastres de aviación en Norteamérica. Entre ellos, el accidente del 6 de febrero de un avión de pasajeros en Alaska, en el que murieron las 10 personas que iban a bordo, y el choque en pleno vuelo del 26 de enero entre un helicóptero del U.S. Army y un vuelo de American Airlines en el Aeropuerto Nacional Ronald Reagan de Washington, D.C. en la que murieron las 67 personas que iban a bordo de los dos aviones.

Un avión de transporte médico con una paciente infantil, su madre y otras cuatro personas a bordo se estrelló el 31 de enero en un vecindario de Filadelfia. Ese accidente mató a siete personas, incluidas todas las que iban a bordo, e hirió a otras 19.

Veintiún personas resultaron heridas el 17 de febrero cuando un vuelo de Delta Air Lines volcó y aterrizó sobre su techo en el Aeropuerto Pearson de Toronto.

Con información de Associated Press

Traducido por Gisela Orozco para La Voz Chicago

Southwest Airlines pilot's fast action averts crash at Midway Airport

2025-02-25T20:45:57.757-06:00

A Southwest Airlines jet attempting to land at Midway Airport nearly crashed with a business jet that had crossed into its path Tuesday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Officials said the incident occurred shortly before 9 a.m., when Southwest Airlines Flight 2504 from Omaha, Nebraska, was attempting to land.

In a video of the incident posted to social media, the Southwest flight is seen close to touching down, then pulling up as a smaller business jet taxis across its path. The Southwest flight returned to the air before later landing safely and "without incident," according to an emailed statement from Southwest Airlines.

Omaha resident Caley Maszk was looking out the window of the Southwest plane as it descended and neared the ground. She said it felt as though the plane was "inches" from the ground before "all of a sudden we start going up again."

Maszk, 32, and the other passengers were confused but not alarmed, she said. Minutes later the pilot calmly explained to them that a plane had been on the runway and their arrival would be slightly delayed.

"We didn't think anything happened because he was so calm," Maszk said. "No one talked about it when we were getting off the plane."

After an hour layover at Midway, Maszk boarded another plane to Dallas. It was only when she landed in Texas that she saw video of the incident and realized how close she and fellow passengers had been to disaster.

"When we saw the video, right when we landed in Dallas we were shocked, because we didn't know that we were that plane that almost hit another plane," Maszk said. "It was crazy."

Video from Chicago's Midway Airport shows a near miss between a Southwest Airlines flight and another jet on the runway. Here's what we know so far: https://t.co/guo7nKwonH #southwest #southwestairlines #chicago #chicagoairport #mdwairport #mdw #airplanes #planes #caughtoncamera pic.twitter.com/ifZXZpceyY
— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) February 25, 2025

The crew of the Southwest flight had to initiate a "go-around" to avoid the jet, which was on the runway without authorization, said Steve Kulm of the FAA.

Bill Bernal, president of the union of Southwest Airlines flight attendants TWU Local 556, lauded the flight crew's actions on board.

"We applaud the sharp skills of the Members of TWU Local 556, the Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants on board, and the quick thinking and actions of the pilots, members of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association," Bernal said in a statement. "Dedication to training and experience saved lives today."

The pilot of the private jet, owned by Flexjet, appeared to misunderstand an air traffic controller’s instructions, according to audio from LiveATC.net.

Once the Southwest plane reached 3,000 feet, the pilot asked, "Uh, how’d that happen?"

There were no reports of injuries, the Chicago Fire Department said.

Maszk said she was very grateful that the Southwest pilot was experienced and that his training kicked in, adding that his calm demeanor kept passengers from becoming panicked.

"If I ever get the chance to see him I'll give him a great big hug because I'm so thankful," she said.

Southwest Airlines, which didn't release the number of passengers on board, confirmed the crew "performed a precautionary go-around" to avoid a possible conflict with another aircraft that entered the runway.

The Southwest Airlines check-in counters at Midway were largely empty later Tuesday.

Kaitlin Washburn/Sun-Times

A Flexjet spokesperson said in an email that the company was "aware of the occurrence today in Chicago."

"Flexjet adheres to the highest safety standards and we are conducting a thorough investigation. Any action to rectify and ensure the highest safety standards will be taken," a Flexjet spokesperson said.

The Flexjet spokesperson did not answer questions about how the near-collision happened or why its aircraft was on the runway.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating.

U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia called for a full investigation into the incident in a statement posted on X.

"Thankful no one was hurt in the Midway near-collision. This was a close call, and we need to know how it happened. I’ll be pressing for a full investigation to keep our skies and airports safe. This is why cuts to FAA are dangerous," Garcia said.

Thankful no one was hurt in the Midway near-miss. This was a close call, and we need to know how it happened. I’ll be pressing for a full investigation to keep our skies and airports safe. This is why cuts to FAA are dangerous. https://t.co/Y1S8kIGsO2
— Congressman Chuy García (@RepChuyGarcia) February 25, 2025

Air traffic control audio makes clear that the business jet failed to heed clear instruction not to cross the runway, said Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB member and former FAA investigator.

Guzzetti called it a "very serious runway incursion," but added: "However, the sky is not falling because last year was the lowest recorded number of serious runway incursions in a decade."

There were 22 of these serious events in 2023, but just seven in 2024, he said, citing FAA data.

The near-collision Tuesday is unlikely to lift flyers' confidence following other high-profile incidents nationwide.

The last major crash that happened at Midway was in December 2005, when a Southwest flight landed in a snowstorm and skidded off the runway, crashing into cars on Central Avenue and killing a 6-year-old boy.

The past few weeks have seen four major aviation disasters in North America. They include the Feb. 6 crash of a commuter plane in Alaska that killed all 10 people on board; and the Jan. 26 midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport that killed all 67 aboard the two aircraft.

A medical transport jet with a child patient, her mother and four others aboard crashed Jan. 31 into a Philadelphia neighborhood. That crash killed seven people, including all those aboard, and injured 19 others.

Twenty-one people were injured Feb. 17 when a Delta Air Lines flight flipped and landed on its roof at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

Contributing: Associated Press

6-year-old boy dead, woman critical after fire tears through West Ridge apartment building: 'It was horrible'

2025-02-14T14:49:09.669-06:00

With their apartment building on fire, three West Ridge residents tried desperately Friday morning to get into one of the burning units, where a 6-year-old boy was trapped.

They got through the door, but could make it no further, said Mr. Ahmed, one of the neighbors.

"It was very, very smokey and dark inside. We couldn't go in," said Ahmed, 29, who didn't want his first name used.

"We couldn't save the kid,” he said. ”It was a very bad situation.”

The extra-alarm fire erupted about 11:15 a.m. in an apartment building in the 2700 block of West Granville Avenue.

In addition to the boy who died, another resident, a woman, was critically hurt. The Cook County medical examiner's office confirmed the boy's death, but has not released his name or said if the woman is a relative.

Officials said an adult was listed in critical condition at Swedish Covenant Hospital, though did not reveal the gender.

2740 Granville. 2 11 with plan one pic.twitter.com/5PcLJbn9pr
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) February 14, 2025

Two firefighters also were injured when an indoor stairwell gave out, according to a district fire chief who briefed reporters at the scene. One injured firefighter was taken in good condition to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston as a precaution.

"The stairwells were very heavily engulfed in flames," the chief said, adding that some rear porches on the building also collapsed.

The fire likely started on the first floor of the 12-unit building, but its initial cause and origin still are being investigated, the chief said.

It’s unclear if the building was properly equipped with smoke detectors.

Around 100 firefighters responded to the blaze and it took 45 minutes to an hour to extinguish the flames.

Chicago Fire Department firefighters pack up after extinguishing an extra-alarm fire Friday at an apartment building in the 2700 block of West Granville Avenue in West Ridge.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Ahmed, who took shelter at a nearby Aldi with his 5-year-old son, lives in the garden unit and was on the phone talking to relatives who live out of state when he noticed a bad smell.

Ahmed checked the wires of appliances and then heard his neighbors "running" downstairs and screaming.

"As soon as I started smelling the smoke I took my kid out," said Ahmed, whose son was home sick from school and was "in shock. ... He was crying."

He and two neighbors sprang into action when they realized the woman who lives in the apartment was badly hurt and had gotten out but that the boy was still trapped inside.

Displaced residents are led to a warming bus Friday after an extra-alarm fire in an apartment building left a child dead and a woman critically hurt in the 2700 block of West Granville Avenue.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

At least five ambulances were sent to the scene and ComEd crews also pitched in to deenergize the area at the request of the fire department so crews could safely operate.

At about 12:30 p.m., fire trucks blocked the intersection of Fairfield and Granville avenues as several firefighters remained on the scene. Many displaced residents looked for somewhere warm to wait while police officers directed traffic.

Red and yellow tape cordoned off the intersection and the south side of the building was scorched and windows were burned out.

Several passersby looked on curiously as crews worked and by 1 p.m., firefighters were rolling up hoses and loading gear back into the trucks.

Zain Abedin lives across the street and was in a meeting when he got a text from his neighbor about the fire at around 11:10 a.m.

Abedin looked outside and saw smoke pouring from the third floor, then suddenly “balls of flames” were racing up the building.

“It just kept raging,” he said. “Flames kept climbing. I think they did everything they could. It’s absolutely tragic.”

Abedin and his two daughters, ages 1 and 4, watched the firefighters work.

“I was scared, absolutely scared,” he said. “I didn’t know how to react so I can’t imagine how someone inside would react.”

Jose Sanchez lives in the building and was home when he smelled smoke and a woman screaming. Shortly after that, he saw her while leaving the building — she was "screaming, bloody, burned,” Sanchez said.

The woman, who he didn’t know personally, said her 6-year-old was upstairs.

“The whole building was fire, smoke, heat from the windows — they shattered,” Sanchez said.

A warming bus was sent to the scene, and firefighters offered hot chocolate to the displaced residents.

His kids were in school across the street and Sanchez wondered where they would go when they get out at 3:30 p.m.

Another resident, Ricky Gonzalez, was standing outside wearing only pajamas.

“I can’t even get in my car. The keys are upstairs," he said. “I’m stuck outside. I wasn’t cold but I’m starting to feel it now.”

Gonzalez also saw the woman who was badly burned.

“She was yelling about her 6-year-old inside," he said. “It was horrible. It was horrible.”

Ricky Gonzalez, still wearing pajamas, watches as Chicago Fire Department firefighters pack up after extinguishing an extra-alarm fire in his apartment building Friday in the 2700 block of West Granville Avenue in West Ridge.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times