A Venezuelan migrant in Chicago is facing a murder charge after allegedly gunning down a man as he begged for his life. The alleged shooting took place on a public street in front of witnesses.
Chicago police arrested Kevin Perez-Paredes, age 24, after he allegedly shot and killed 25-year-old Crismer Nieves. Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman detained the Venezuelan migrant after saying Perez-Paredes “for lack of a better word, executed” Nieves, according to CWB Chicago.
Prosecutors said video surveillance footage shows an encounter between Nieves and his accused killer at a gas station. The pair “greeted each other, slapped hands, and had an on-camera conversation,” the article states.
Perez-Paredes cracked open the door of his SUV and Nieves took off running. The driver of the SUV took off after Nieves and caught up with him. At that point, Perez-Peredes allegedly jumped out of the SUV with a gun in his hand.
Judge Keane said, “The victim was on the ground with his hands up, unarmed, yelling, ‘No! No! No!’” She said the Venezuelan migrant opened fire, striking Nieves multiple times in the head and arm.
Police also found text messages on Perez-Paredes’ phone indicating that he shot the victim. Police say he also confessed to the alleged murder, according to Judge Keane.
A public defender attempted to get Perez-Paredes released from custody, claiming the allegations “show animus towards one person and one person only, who is now deceased.” He added that the Venezuelan migrant has only lived in Chicago Heights for four months.
The article does not indicate whether or not Perez-Paredes is a member of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) Venezuelan gang, which has been engaged in violence in several American cities of late.
Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott designated the TdA as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization,” Breitbart Texas reported. The move gives Texas law enforcement officials additional tools and resources to attack the gang and “disrupt their criminal operations and deny their foothold in the state,” the governor stated.
This led to an offer of a $5,000 reward by the governor’s Public Safety Office for information leading to the arrest of “known or suspected” TdA gang members.
“Tren de Aragua has spread terror and carnage in every country they’ve been in, and Texas will not allow them to gain a foothold in our state,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, I am announcing a reward for any information that leads to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members of this gang who have been or are involved in heinous crimes. Texas will not let these thugs use our state as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens.”
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
