Cook County Judge John Lyke handed down a life sentence to Steven Montano for the murder of Chicago Police Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso. However, due to a law passed in 2023, Montano will have the opportunity to seek release after serving 40 years because he was under 21 at the time of the crime.
The sentencing included three murder counts, with Montano ordered to serve a concurrent 45-year term on three additional murder counts, a concurrent 20-year term on two more murder counts, and a consecutive one-year sentence for unlawful possession of a weapon. Montano, now 21, was found guilty by a jury on July 21.
Montano, who was 18 at the time, fatally shot Officer Vásquez Lasso on March 1, 2023, after fleeing a domestic disturbance call in Chicago’s South Spaulding neighborhood.
The incident began when Montano got into a heated argument with his girlfriend, threatening her with a gun. She managed to call 911 before Montano grabbed her phone and attempted to destroy it. As responding officers arrived, Montano fled, dropping his weapon and ammunition along the way.
Officer Vásquez Lasso and his partner pursued Montano to a playground, where Montano turned and fired at the officer. In the exchange of gunfire, Vásquez Lasso was fatally wounded, while Montano was also shot in the mouth.
Despite the tragic outcome, Montano attempted to flee but was eventually apprehended by officers. Vásquez Lasso was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Governor JB Pritzker signed a law in 2023 that allows individuals sentenced to life in prison for crimes committed before the age of 21 to seek release after serving 40 years. Efforts to expand this opportunity retroactively for all youth offenders fell short in the State House earlier this year.
The case serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty and the complex legal considerations surrounding sentencing for crimes committed by young individuals.
