In a chilling case that rocked the city of Chicago, a Venezuelan migrant, Gabriel Edison Romero, has been charged with murder in connection to the deaths of two female migrants and the attempted murder of a third victim. The gruesome events unfolded on a night of terror that began with a kidnapping on the West Side and culminated in an execution-style shooting in a South Side alley.
Romero, 29, is facing a slew of charges including two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated armed kidnapping, and three counts of aggravated unlawful restraint. Another Venezuelan migrant, Ricardo Gonzalez Leon, 31, was charged earlier with kidnapping and unlawful restraint for his alleged involvement in the crime.
The harrowing incident took place on January 27 when Romero and Gonzalez abducted three female migrants at gunpoint. One of the victims, Orlana Rodriguez, 37, was Romero’s ex-girlfriend. The other two victims, Yeris Castillo, 40, and a 31-year-old woman, had recently arrived in Chicago and had met while staying in shelters.
According to Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara, the women were celebrating Rodriguez’s birthday at their shared apartment when they were forcibly taken by Romero and Gonzalez. The victims were locked in a room in a third-floor unit where armed men threatened them periodically.
The situation escalated when the women were driven around the city in a red Toyota Camry by Romero and others, eventually ending up in an alley on the South Side. Surveillance footage showed Romero pulling the surviving woman from the car and shooting her multiple times. The other men with him executed Rodriguez and Castillo before fleeing the scene.
The surviving victim, bleeding from gunshot wounds, managed to find help in the alley and was rescued by responding officers. The deceased victims were later discovered at the scene. Police were able to trace the Camry to a roommate of the suspects, leading to the eventual arrest of Romero in South Carolina.
Gonzalez, on the other hand, was located and arrested in Georgia by the U.S. Marshals Service. He was extradited to Chicago to face charges and was identified as a high-ranking member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The investigation into the heinous crime revealed chilling details of the events that unfolded that fateful night. Romero, who had fled Chicago following the incident, was apprehended wearing a distinctive Coach-brand hat that he had worn during the murders.
Both suspects are now in custody awaiting trial for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murders. The surviving victim, who bravely managed to seek help after the ordeal, serves as a testament to the resilience and strength in the face of unimaginable horror. The community in Chicago remains shocked and saddened by the senseless violence that claimed the lives of two innocent women.
