Two men have been charged in connection with a crime spree that resulted in the beating death of a man last year while he was putting up Christmas lights in his Gage Park home, according to ABC7.
Over the span of 4 hours, police say, those two men assaulted and robbed more than two dozen people. Prosecutors spent 45 minutes today in court simply reading through all the allegations.
Moises Barrios, 23, and Pedro Mendiola, 21, were both held without bond following their arrest on more than two dozen felony charges, including first degree murder in connection with Jose Tellez’s apparent random beating death.
The 49-year-old Gage Park resident was reportedly murdered in front of his family last December while hanging Christmas lights.
Tellez’s daughter reportedly observed the incident from inside and attempted to enlist her brother’s assistance, but the suspects had already fled.
Tellez was one of at least 14 victims during Barrios and Mendiola’s four-hour spree of mayhem, prosecutors said. Armed with a crowbar and baseball bat, the pair allegedly preyed on people on the street.
“Tellez was doing what many of us were doing and and should expected to do during the holidays, hanging Christmas lights with his daughter before being tragically and senselessly beaten to death,” Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said. “This is a horrendous crime and w stand here united to say we will not let atrocities happen in Gage Park or in any community in this city or this county.”
The arrests provide some solace to Tellez’s family, but they still have to live with the pain, which they say will last a lifetime.
