Mar 16, 2009 4:56 pm US/Central
Rockford Men Indicted In Pilsen Teen's Murder
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
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Efrain Becerra, 17, and Taylor Hock, 20, are charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of 16-year-old Johnny Vasquez.
Chicago Police Department
Two men were indicted on murder charges Monday in the Valentine's Day gang-related shooting of a teenage gang member in the Southwest Side Pilsen neighborhood.
Efrain Becerra, 17, and Taylor Hock, 20, both of Rockford, were formally charged Monday with six counts each of first-degree murder, according to Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.
About 11:55 p.m on Feb. 14.,
Vasquez was standing outside on the 1900 block of South Loomis Street when someone got out of a car and opened fire, according to police.
Prosecutors say Becerra and Hock came to Chicago for a party, but once in the city, decided they would find a Two-Six or La Raza gang member "to beat up or send to the hospital," according to Asst. State's Attorney Tene McCoy Cummings.
When they saw Vasquez flash a La Raza gang sign as they drove through the Pilsen neighborhood, they acted swiftly, Cummings said. Becerra allegedly began shooting from the 1994 Mercury that Hock was driving.
Becerra eventually got out of the car and began chasing Vasquez in the 1900 block of South Loomis, shooting him a few more times, Cummings said.
Hock and Becerra, both admitted members of the Latin Counts, drove away with two others and later gave their rifle to an unknown person. They were later arrested and gloves, masks, bullets and casings recovered from the Mercury.
Vasquez, of 1423 W. Cullerton St., suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Prosecutors said he also suffered gunshot wounds to his back, rear, shin and bicep.
Vasquez was not an active CPS student, dropping out during the 2007-08 school year, a spokesman said.
Becerra and Hock are scheduled for arraignment on March 31, Simonton said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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