Prospect Heights Christmas murder trial begins

The murder trial began Monday for a 62-year-old man who prosecutors say shot and killed a 23-year-old Prospect Heights man on Christmas morning 1994 and then fled to Mexico, where he hid from police for 15 years.

Moises Bahena, formerly of Prospect Heights, is charged with murder in connection with the shooting of Wenceslao “El Toro” Gonzalez, 23, on the 800 block of Piper Lane in the Country Pines apartment complex in Prospect Heights.

According to police, Bahena and Gonzalez were fighting on Christmas Eve. At one point, Bahena left and retrieved his .22-caliber rifle, returned to the scene and shot Gonzalez six times, hitting him in the head, chest and arm, police said.

Former Prospect Heights Police Cpl. Dave Williams testified Monday that he spent six to nine months trying to track down Bahena, searching and conducting surveillance in Elgin, Chicago and Houston, Texas.

The investigation was turned over to the FBI once it was determined that Bahena was no longer in the United States.

However, in 2005, after serving an unrelated search warrant to one of Bahena's relatives, police came across information that led to Bahena's whereabouts in Mexico. The FBI eventually found Bahena and arrested him at his home outside Acapulco in October 2009. He was extradited back to the U.S., and Prospect Heights police took Bahena into custody at O'Hare International Airport.

The prosecution will continue to present its case at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday before Judge John Scotillo in Rolling Meadows.