Venezuelan Migrant Charged with Kidnapping and Murder of Two Women in South Shore
A Venezuelan migrant, identified as a high-ranking member of the Tren de Aragua street gang, has been charged with kidnapping and restraining three women who were later shot, resulting in the deaths of two of the victims in a South Shore alley earlier this year. The surviving victim revealed that one of the murdered women had been raped while they were held captive inside the migrant’s West Side apartment.
On January 28, Chicago police officers discovered the bodies of Yeris Castillo, 40, and Orlana Rodriguez, 37, in an alley behind the 7700 block of South Oglesby. The 31-year-old survivor, who had been shot in the chest, sought help by knocking on doors in the neighborhood.
Ricardo Gonzalez Leon, 31, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Cobb County, Georgia, on March 21 and has been brought back to Chicago to face charges. According to the U.S. Marshals, Gonzalez is a prominent member of the Tren De Aragua gang.
Prosecutors revealed during a recent hearing that the three women, who were migrants residing together in the 6100 block of South Albany, were abducted by Gonzalez and two other men in a red Toyota. The women were coerced into the vehicle at gunpoint after they declined an invitation to go drinking with the men.
Surveillance footage from Gonzalez’s apartment building depicted the women being taken to his residence on the West Side. The survivor recounted being held captive in a room by a group of armed men and women, with one of the victims being raped during their confinement.
After approximately nine hours, the captors instructed the women to return to the red Toyota before driving away from the area. The survivor, who had been shot in the face and chest, managed to seek help in the 7700 block of South Oglesby, where she was discovered covered in blood.
Although Gonzalez is not charged with the shootings, evidence suggests his involvement in the kidnapping and confinement of the women. Chicago police are actively pursuing leads to identify two other individuals believed to have been complicit in the abduction and murders.
Following a detention hearing, Judge James Murphy III ordered Gonzalez to remain in custody, denouncing the kidnapping as a heinous and calculated crime. Gonzalez faces multiple charges, including armed kidnapping and unlawful restraint.
The investigation into the tragic incident continues as authorities work to bring all perpetrators to justice and provide closure to the victims’ families.
