Thread: LATIN KING GANG MEMBERS: FRIENDS KILLING FRIENDS

Authorities say fatal shot delivered by victim's friend

February 8, 2007
By Kim Janssen Staff writer

A "Pulp Fiction"-style gun accident claimed the life of a 19-year-old murder witness killed in Harvey, according to charges filed Wednesday.

Adrian Castro, 20, was charged with involuntary manslaughter after he allegedly shot his friend Rolando Becerra as they attempted to flee members of the Latin Kings street gang Sunday.

The Latin Kings had targeted Becerra since he witnessed a gang member kill his friend Jesse Santillian, 16, on Valentine's Day last year, his family says.

Castro told police he reached into the glove compartment for a 9 mm handgun when he, Becerra and two other men riding in Castro's 2000 Cadillac saw members of the gang following them in a blue sport utility vehicle about 3 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of 159th and Halsted streets, Assistant State's Attorney Christine Opp said.

Castro, riding in the front passenger seat, told police the gun accidentally fired as he attempted to pass it back to Becerra in the rear driver's side seat, Opp said.

Becerra was shot in the head, and -- although Castro took him to Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey -- Becerra was declared dead on arrival.

The two other men in the Cadillac ran away but later corroborated Castro's story, Opp said.

The witnesses initially said the fatal shots were fired from the blue SUV, according to authorities.

Castro, of the 15000 block of Willard Avenue, was ordered held on $150,000 bail during a hearing Wednesday at the Cook County Courthouse in Markham. He appears in court March 2.

Becerra's sister Nadia Becerra said she still had doubts about the charge filed against Castro and that she still believes her brother was killed by a Latin King in the SUV.

"I just want an answer, but nothing will bring my brother back," she said.

The Becerra family home in the 200 block of East 157th Street in Harvey has been peppered with bullets on seven occasions since Becerra told Harvey police who he saw kill Santillian.

The family is keeping details of Becerra's funeral secret after Becerra's mother's wake was disrupted by a hail of gunfire in September.

Of the five killings in Harvey so far this year, Becerra's is the only one to result in charges, although police sources say charges connected to the death of Brentell Faulkner -- also shot Sunday -- soon may be filed.

After a state police raid on Harvey police headquarters last month, the state's attorney's office filed charges in the February 2006 death of Willie Darling.

The murder of Jesse Santillian and the later slaying of his uncle, Raphael Santillian, remain among eight unsolved cases in the city from last year.

Kim Janssen may be reached at
kjanssen@dailysouthtown.com
or (70 633-5998.

Once the killing start and the police cannot control it, friends are going to get killed not just the innocent people on the street corners.