CHICAGO (CBS) — Two men have been charged in the shooting death of a 24-year-old Chicago father who was robbed and killed on his way to work last month.
Divonte Calhoun, 32, of Gurnee, and Justin Redmond, 41, of Chicago, have each been charged with two counts of murder and one count of armed robbery in the shooting of 24-year-old Zet Rodriguez-Lara on May 10 in the Dunning neighborhood.
Kevin Bruno, deputy chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department, said Rodriguez-Lara was walking through the 3900 block of North Pittsburgh Avenue on his way to work on May 10 around 7 a.m. when Calhoun walked up and announced a robbery, telling him then shot and fled the scene. .
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Cell phone records and surveillance video led to charges
After the shooting, Calhoun got into a getaway car driven by Redmond, and the two later drove to a gas station in Gurnee.
Calhoun was arrested this weekend immediately after the shooting but was released without charges. Sources said the Cook County Prosecutor’s Office did not have sufficient evidence at the time to file charges.
Bruno said Calhoun was arrested again on Sunday and Redmond on Monday. Redmond had not previously been arrested in connection with the shooting.
The charges were approved Monday evening based on cellphone records and other forensics that took time to gather. Data from Calhoun and Redmond’s cellphones placed them at the scene of the crime at the time of the shooting.
Police were also able to obtain surveillance footage of the shooting and of the gas station in Gurnee where Calhoun and Redmond drove after the shooting.
Bruno said surveillance video shows Bruno getting into the getaway car and later at the gas station wearing the same clothes he was wearing at the time of the shooting.
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A police source said some money may have been taken from Rodriguez-Lara, but Bruno could not confirm whether any money had been stolen. A bag that Rodriguez-Lara was carrying was left behind.
Police said the shooting was a random act of violence and that the suspects had no prior connection to Rodriguez-Lara.
At the time of the shooting, Calhoun was on parole for armed robbery, and Redmond was on parole for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, Bruno said.
Illinois Department of Corrections records show Calhoun also served time in prison for two other theft convictions. Redmond also has prior convictions on gun and drug charges dating back to 2002.
Calhoun and Redmond were scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Tuesday.
“I’m so sorry he didn’t make it.”
Rodriguez-Lara was described as a wonderful father to his six-month-old daughter, a friend, a son and a brother. His killing was a shock to a community that said Rodriguez-Lara was always a friendly face.
A neighbor, who spoke to CBS 2 after the shooting but asked that her name not be published, tried to save his life by applying pressure to his injuries.
“I just jumped into action,” she said.
She added that she called 911 and “took off my sweatshirt that I was wearing, immediately started applying pressure and waited for an ambulance to arrive.” I just tried to communicate with him, talk to him. Keep him awake.’
The woman said Rodriguez-Lara told her he was walking to work. She later learned he died and has been in contact with his family since. She didn’t know him before.
“I’m so sorry he didn’t make it and I wish he had, to see your kids grow up,” she said, adding that she was “trying to keep him alive for his kids.”
