A well-known member of the Two-Six gang, Daniel Alvarado, was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet for a pending gun case when he allegedly shot and killed a man in Little Village last weekend, according to prosecutors.
Alvarado, 20, had been arrested in March after crashing a car and discarding a firearm when shots were fired towards Chicago police officers. Despite initially being detained, Judge Charles Burns released him on electronic monitoring on May 16. However, court officials reported that Alvarado violated the terms of his monitoring agreement multiple times, including on the night of July 5 when 47-year-old Moises Juarez was fatally shot near 27th Street and Central Park Avenue.
During a detention hearing, prosecutors detailed the new allegations, leading Judge James Costello to order Alvarado back into custody. Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara explained that Juarez and a friend were dining at a taco stand when they noticed a suspicious vehicle circling the area. After finishing their meal and walking north on Central Park Avenue, the vehicle pulled up beside them, and the driver opened fire, fatally striking Juarez.
Investigators recovered shell casings near Juarez’s body and tracked the gunman’s vehicle using CPD’s citywide camera network. The Nissan Rogue, allegedly driven by Alvarado, was found to have additional shell casings matching those at the crime scene. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two phones, one linked to Alvarado. One of the passengers initially claimed responsibility for the shooting but later recanted after evidence proved otherwise.
When police executed a search warrant at Alvarado’s residence, they found incriminating evidence, including a bullet with the same headstamp as the shell casings and a cellphone video showing him in the driver’s seat of the Nissan before the shooting. Location data from his ankle monitor placed him near the murder scene at the time of the crime.
The case has raised concerns about the county’s electronic monitoring program, which recently transferred to the office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans. State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke criticized the move, calling it a threat to public safety. Alvarado is now awaiting trial for Juarez’s killing and is the seventh person accused of committing a violent crime while on pretrial release this year.
This incident is part of CWBChicago’s ongoing coverage of individuals accused of violent crimes while on pretrial release. The series aims to highlight the flaws in the criminal justice system and the risks posed by lenient bond policies. The actual number of crimes committed by those awaiting trial is likely higher than reported, given the low prosecution rates for violent offenses.
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