Tag Archives: Little Village

Chicago apartment fire kills eight children in Little Village

(CBS) — Eight children, ranging in age from 3 months to 16 years old,  died in a fire overnight in the 2200 block of South Sacramento in the Little Village neighborhood.

All the victims were found on the second floor. Family members said some of the children were at the apartment for a sleepover. Two others, one adult and one child, were taken to the hospital in very critical condition, suffering from smoke inhalation, according to Chicago police.

Family members identified the victims as: Maya Almaraz, 3 months; Ariel Garcia, 5 years old; Lonni Ayala, 3 years old; Gialonni Ayala, 5 years old; Xavier Contreras, 11 years old; Nathan Contreras, 13 years old; Giovanni Ayala, 10 years old and Victor Mendoza, 16 years old.

“We have not had this in many, many, many years,” said Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago. ‘This is a very tragic incident.”

The blaze ignited just before 4 a.m. on the second floor of a building on South Sacramento Avenue, according to Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago.

The fire began in the rear of the building, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. The exit to the front of the building was clear, “but without working smoke detectors the occupants were not awakened in time to get to safety,” according to the mayor’s statement.

Volunteers with the Red Cross were on the scene Sunday morning, assisting other residents who were displaced by the fire.

GoFundMe page has been set up by Enlace Chicago to raise money for funeral costs.

Read more from CBS Chicago.

 

 

5-11 Fire in Little Village Struck, Hotspots Being Chased

By Jen DeSalvo, WLS-AM 890 News & Traffic

Updated at 7:01 a.m.

(CHICAGO) An extra-alarm fire is burning at an industrial park in the Little Village neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago.

The fire, which broke about 3:30 a.m., was escalated to a 5-11 alarm at 4:54 a.m. Upwards of 25 fire engines and five ambulances were called to the scene by that time.

Chicago Fire Department crews battle an extra-alarm fire in Little Village early Friday. | Network Video Productions

 

Pallets inside of the warehouse are adding to the extra-alarm fire that started at a tire warehouse. It is being treated as a Level 1 Hazmat situation.

Both Western and 26th streets are closed to any traffic, and smoke from the fire is covering parts of the Stevenson expressway.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, no injuries have been reported with the fire still blazing as of 5 a.m., police said. Chicago Fire Department officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

As of 6:30 a.m., the fire has been struck, though crews remain on the scene to chase hotspots. Street closures include 26th for the half-mile stretch between Western and California.

 

 

Screenshot from NBC Sky 5
Screenshot from NBC Sky 5

 

Chicago Fire Department crews battle an extra-alarm fire in Little Village early Friday. | Network Video Productions
Network Video Productions

Chicago Fire Department crews battle an extra-alarm fire in Little Village early Friday. | Network Video Productions
Network Video Productions

An extra-alarm fire rages early Friday near 26th Street and Rockwell in Little Village. | Network Video Productions
An extra-alarm fire rages early Friday near 26th Street and Rockwell in Little Village. | Network Video Productions

 

Ex-County Commissioner Moreno ally gets 3 years in prison in bribery scheme

(CHICAGO) A federal judge handed a three-year prison sentence Tuesday to a one-time political ally of former Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Ronald Garcia, 55, pleaded guilty in September 2013 to bribing Moreno in exchange for Moreno’s help strong-arming an out-of-state county contractor into using Garcia’s business as a minority business subcontractor.

The bribe came in the form of the forgiveness of a $100,000 mortgage loan on Moreno’s home, court records show. The county contractor ultimately paid Garcia’s business $460,142, prosecutors have said.

But that only came after Garcia put Moreno on the phone with a representative of the company, and after Moreno told the company he had concerns about its choice for a minority subcontractor.

“Ronald Garcia repeatedly exploited his relationships with former Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno and other Cook County officials to receive millions of dollars exclusively through Cook County contracts,” prosecutors wrote in court documents.

An attorney for Garcia, who grew up in Little Village, said in court papers he’s led a “remarkable life” considering his “humble beginnings.” They said he’s accepted his guilt and plans to fulfill his sentence.

Moreno himself pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion in 2013. U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feinerman, who sentenced Garcia on Tuesday, sentenced Moreno last year to 11 years in prison.

© Copyright 2015 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

Children interrupt attempted sexual assault in Little Village home

(CHICAGO) A man tried to sexually assault a woman inside a Little Village neighborhood home on the West Side early Thursday but was scared off by children who woke up and heard the attack.

The man entered the home in the 2900 block of West 25th Street through a window about 4:40 a.m., attacked a woman and threatened to sexually assault her, according to a community alert issued by Area Central detectives.

The man fled the home after sleeping children woke up and interrupted the assault, police said.

The suspect is described as a 29-30-year-old Hispanic man about 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and black gym shoes.

Anyone with information should call detectives at (312) 747-8380.

© Copyright 2015 Sun-Times Media, LLC