Weekend Violence UPDATE: Teen Dies in Little Village Shooting

WBBM Newsradio 780.com Reporting

Juan Aguilero, 15, is dead after being shot in the back Saturday night in the Little Village neighborhood.

He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition after a shooting near West 30th Street and South Avers Avenue, Fire Media Affairs Cmdr. Will Knight said.

Police responded a fight about 7:45 p.m. and found Aguilero shot, police News Affairs Officer JoAnn Taylor said.

Aguilero, of 2755 S. Springfield Ave., was fatally shot at 3832 W. 30th St., a Cook County Medical Examiner’s office spokesman said. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital at 8:25 p.m. He had been involved in a fight.

Harrison Area detectives are investigating. No one is in custody.

•MARLOW JONES, 17, died early Sunday after being shot in the face on South Lafayette Avenue. His death has been ruled a homicide. A second man, in his 30s, also was shot in the same incident and remains in “stable” condition.

The two men were standing in the 12000 block of South Lafayette Avenue when an offender approached and opened fire, police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.

Jone died on the scene and the second man – whose name has not yet been revealed -- has a graze wound to the head, and is in Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn.

The shooting is possibly gang-related.

Grand Crossing Area detectives are investigating. No one is in custody.

•A 5-YEAR-OLD BOY is in “stable” condition after being hit by a car Sunday evening on the North Side.

The boy was struck in the 2900 block of West Foster Avenue at 4:10 p.m., according to police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli. The boy ran between two parked cars and was struck by an oncoming car, Mirabelli said.

He was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital in “stable” condition, Mirabelli said

Police did not reveal if any charges are pending. The Major Accidents Investigation Unit is probing the incident

•JALEEL JACKSON, the 6-year-old South Side boy struck by a car Friday evening near his Englewood neighborhood, is dead.

Jackson, of 6343 S. Paulina St., was pronounced dead at 10:23 a.m. Saturday at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, said the Cook County Medical Examiner.

Jackson was struck in the 6300 block of South Paulina Street about 4:55 p.m., police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.

The driver was ticketed, but further details about the citation were not immediately available.

In a separate Friday accident, a car struck a 7-year-old girl riding a bicycle in an alley in the 3100 block of South Homan Avenue at 4:54 p.m., Greer said.

The as-yet unidentified girl was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition.

The police Major Accident Investigation Unit is probing both crashes.

•LEON TURNER, 28, of Burnham, was fatally shot early Sunday in the Canaryville community.

Turner, of 14300 S. Manistee Ave., was shot at 323 W. 42nd St. and was dead on the scene, said the Cook County Medical Examiner.

Police responding to a call of shots fired found Turner dead with a gunshot wound to the head about 12:05 a.m., police said. An autopsy is scheduled.

Wentworth Area detectives are investigating the case as a homicide. Police have no clues and no suspects.

•AN UNMARKED POLICE CAR struck a girl on a bicycle Saturday night in the Lawndale neighborhood.
About 8:40 p.m., an unmarked squad car struck a girl on a bicycle in the 1900 block of South Harding Avenue, said police News Affairs Officer Daniel O’Brien. The girl’s age and name have not yet been revealed.

O’Brien said the girl was taken to a hospital in “stable” condition. She is expected to be treated and released.

The circumstances surrounding the accident remain under investigation.
•KRISTIAN PEGGS didn't quit his job to sell drugs -- as his older brother feared -- but he never got a chance to tell him.

Because when Kevin Peggs confronted his 15-year-old brother about his fears Friday morning, they started fighting in their Far South Side home. And when their mother tried to break it up, Kevin was accidentally stabbed by her, the family said.

"My mom was yelling for them to stop as she was chopping ice with a knife in the freezer," said their step-brother, David Rodgers, who said he "watched the whole freak accident go down."

"And as she turned around to yell some more, he just ran into her. I turned around, and the knife was right there in his chest."

Kevin, 20, died from his injuries at 10 a.m. Friday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Their mother, identified as Cynthia Fletcher, was questioned and released by police on Saturday, spokeswoman JoAnn Taylor said. No charges have been filed.

Fletcher declined comment.

"She just kept holding his chest and talking to him, and telling him it was going to be OK," Rodgers said. "But, she's not OK."

Kristian Peggs worked in an after-school program in Humboldt Park but left it to join a program closer to home.

He was going to tell Kevin about the change, but in true sibling form, he figured he'd just aggravate him awhile. But Kevin, fresh out of jail on drug charges, assumed his younger brother quit to make more money selling drugs. And he wouldn't have it.

"We fought all the time, over anything and everything. But it was never serious," a stunned Kristian said Saturday.

"He thought I was going to go down the same road he did before he got his life right. I was going to tell him that I was just getting a job closer to home. I never got a chance to tell him."

Police said they responded to a report of a domestic dispute at the home in the 11500 block of South LaSalle at about 9:15 a.m. Friday. A police report said the brothers had been fighting with knives, their mother intervened, and the stabbing occurred. But the family said Kevin and Kristian were not fighting with weapons.

Kristian said he feels like his brother's death is his fault.

"He took care of us," he said. "If I got to see him again, I would tell him that I love him -- and that I didn't quit my job."
•JAMES A. WATTS, 19, of Hobart received a sentence of six months in community corrections and five-and-a-half years of probation as one of the six men accused of breaking into a home in September 2007 and beating an innocent man.
He had pleaded guilty to aiding in criminal mischief and to residential entry. The residential entry charge was lessened from aiding in burglary and charges of aiding in battery and aiding in confinement were dropped.
The crimes took place in September after one of the other men accused in the crimes, Thomas Kendera of Valparaiso, was roughed up and robbed in a drug deal.
Kendera allegedly got the other five together to exact revenge. They broke into the house and beat the brother of the man who Kendera accused of robbing him, some of them using bats.
Two other men have already been given similar sentences for pleading guilty to the same charges, Jason D. Solvais of Valparaiso and James. S. Christman III of North Judson.
A fourth, Derrick Scott, 19, of Hobart has pleaded guilty to the same charges, too.
He was supposed to be sentenced Friday, but defense attorney Gary Germann asked for a two-week extension while he and Deputy Prosecutor Michael Drenth worked out some details in the agreement.
As part of their pleas, the four who've pleaded are expected to testify against Kendera and Zakcary A. Kaiser of Merrillville. Both have been formally charged with confinement, burglary, battery and criminal mischief and face up to 51 years in prison.
Kaiser, who is also AWOL from the Army, was supposed to have his final pretrial conference in court Friday before his Aug. 11 court date. That has been moved to Saturday.
His defense attorney, Dolores Aylesworth, has previously said the Army has requested custody of Kaiser after his August trial to face desertion charges.

•DAVID FERRIS, 33, of Waukegan, is charged with dragging his ex-wife and their son a short distance in a parking lot following a dispute over custody of the 2-year-old.

Gurnee Police Cmdr. William Meyer said Ferris, of 2425 Washington St., is charged with two counts of aggravated battery and aggravated reckless driving.
Meyer said the two met in the parking lot of Circuit City at Gurnee Mills Mall to exchange custody of the child. It is believed that’s where they would normally meet for the custody exchange. They began arguing about a child safety seat, Meyer said.
As the woman attempted to reach into Ferris' car and remove her son, he began to drive off, dragging them a few feet, police said. The victims have mild abrasions, but they did not need medical treatment, police said.
Ferris was arrested at the scene, and while in custody it was discovered he was wanted on a domestic violence charge in Boone County.
He was released on a signature bond. Ferris is scheduled in Lake County Court on Aug. 1.

•WILLIAM FAVRETTO, a former Morris resident, pleaded guilty to battery charges after throttling a Morris Soccer Association referee on the field during a fall match between 6- and 7-year-old players.
Favretto was charged with felony aggravated battery in Grundy County, but pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery charges.
Favretto was sentenced to 14 days in the Grundy County Jail and two years of probation. He must have no contact with the victim, undergo anger management counseling, pay fines and court costs of $500 and issue apologies to the victim and the Morris Soccer Association.
"Mr. Favretto's conduct was totally out of line in this matter," said Grundy County State's Attorney Sheldon Sobol after the judgment. "We believe we have made a statement that we will not take this type of offense around children. Physical violence is not the way to handle disagreements at a children's sports activity."
The attack first was ruled misdemeanor battery, but Sobol's office upped the charges to a felony because so many young children witnessed it. Several parents said their children had nightmares after seeing the attack.
But Sobol said the charges were lessened during bargaining processes this week since Favretto had no prior record and the referee wasn't injured.
"Frankly, it's a pretty stiff penalty for an offence like this," Sobol said.
Favretto's victim, referee George Wilhelmsen also was satisfied with the ruling.
"Quite frankly," Wilhelmsen said, "I'm looking forward to putting this behind me. ... I do hope the families who witnessed this attack will also reach some level of closure."

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