Des Plaines stabbing suspect in custody

Des Plaines police arrested an area teenager Sunday in connection with the stabbing death of 21-year-old Israel Moreno.

Des Plaines Police Chief Jim Prandini said Ashuri Hidou, 17, a resident of the Bay Colony subdivision in unincorporated Cook County near Des Plaines, has been charged with first-degree murder.

He is scheduled to appear in bond court Monday morning in Skokie. A Friday court date has been set for arraignment.

More Coverage Links Des Plaines man fatally stabbed near his home [6/15/08]

Moreno, who lived in the 1300 block of Harding Avenue in Des Plaines, was fatally stabbed around 2 a.m. Saturday at the corner of Washington Street and Laurel Avenue.

Moreno's mother, America Miramontes, said her son was on his way home when Hidou called him out and they clashed. He was stabbed twice in the chest.

Miramontes said Moreno's brother Hector held him before he was taken to the hospital. "He (said), 'Talk to me. Stay strong.' He had his eyes open and he couldn't talk."

Police describe Moreno as a known gang member with a criminal history, and said the stabbing was the result of a long-standing feud between residents on Harding Avenue and Laurel Avenue.

But family gathered in front of the crime scene on Laurel Avenue Sunday disputed the characterization, saying Moreno had no gang affiliations.

"I want this to go out, that this kid was a good kid," said Moreno's aunt, Maria Villarreal, who stood by a memorial decorated with religious candles and a bandanna with his favorite color, red. Nearby, the street was outlined with chalk and still stained with Moreno's blood.

Villarreal said Moreno, whose nickname was "Kiki," grew up in Des Plaines and was a Maine West High School graduate. She said he excelled in basketball, loved to work on cars and dreamed of working in the auto body field. She said he even earned a scholarship to a school in Texas to learn his trade after he graduated from high school.

But Moreno's mother said he was prevented from pursuing his dream by repeated run-ins with law, which required him to remain in the state.

Villarreal said her nephew worked for her at a photo studio she managed at Randhurst Shopping Center in Mount Prospect.

"Parents said he was wonderful," she said. "He made kids laugh."

"He was a funny person. He had a good personality," said Moreno's cousin, Diamond Perez.

Hidou, who has no criminal history, was taken into custody Saturday afternoon and was questioned overnight, Prandini said.

After the stabbing, Hidou fled the scene, but authorities, based on witness information, eventually traced him to a Lincolnwood address where he was arrested, police said.

Prandini said Hidou gave a statement implicating himself in the crime. While police would not divulge specifics, they said the stabbing stemmed from a week-old dispute and other issues.

Prandini said there was substantial cooperation from people in the neighborhood. In all, more than 30 people provided the police with information.

Prandini also said there was significant assistance from detectives and forensic experts with the Major Case Assistance Team, a suburban crime fighting consortium.

"We had complete cooperation from everyone we talked to in this investigation," Prandini said. "It's unfortunate that this happened, but we put this together based on everyone's cooperation and we resolved this as quickly as possible."