Alleged Drug-Trafficker Due In Court On 4 New Murder Charges
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 36-year-old Little Village neighborhood man is set to appear for a bond hearing Thursday, as the list grows of the people he allegedly killed.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, Raul Segura-Rodriguez is set to appear for a noon bond hearing in Violence Court (Br. 66) at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse. He is already being held at the Cook County Jail in connection with two murders in the Edgewater neighborhood back in February.
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Segura-Rodriguez is now charged with four more murders. He allegedly shot and killed four people in a garage in 6100 block of South Kildare Avenue on Sept. 2, 2010, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said.
Police said the victims were found bound and shot in the head in the garage.
Officials believe Segura-Rodriguez was part of a drug-trafficking crew, and also robbed and killed potential buyers.
The Edgewater incident precipitated a crime spree that led to another suspect being shot and killed by police, and a police officer being shot and wounded.
It began when gang investigators on the evening of Feb. 26 found several people running from a building in the 5800 block of North Winthrop Avenue. Inside, two men – Joel Diaz, 33, and Ramito Mendoza, 37 – were dead, and a third man was critically injured. The victims' throats had been slit and duct tape was restraining them.
Then-police Supt. Jody Weis said the suspects fled in a vehicle, ramming a police car. They fired at police, injuring the officer near the intersection of Broadway and Thorndale Avenue.
After a chase, police stopped the vehicle and fatally shot and killed a suspect, Arturo Ibarra, 37, police said. The final shootout scene was at Greenview and Devon avenues, less than a mile from where the officer was hurt.
Authorities say the 39-year-old police officer who was shot is a member of the Gang Investigations Unit.
Segura-Rodriguez, of the 3000 block of South Keeler Avenue, was charged in that case with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of home invasion with a firearm, and one count of aggravated fleeing with bodily injury. Augustin Toscano, 29, of the 2100 block of West Cullerton Street, was charged with the same counts.
Segura-Rodriguez was also charged with aggravated battery with great bodily harm, while Toscano was also charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer. Bond was denied for both suspects the week after the crime spree.
In February, police said the suspects in the Edgewater case are believed to have been involved in at least 10 other killings on the South Side -- including the quadruple slaying in September which Segura-Rodriguez is now charged with, a triple murder in May and a triple murder in April.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
