Addison teens indicted in murder
Two 15-year-olds from Addison were indicted on first-degree murder charges for a gang-related shooting that left another teen dead.
A DuPage County grand jury returned the indictment earlier this week, according to records released Wednesday. Both teens are expected to plead innocent Monday.
Authorities allege Matthew C. Cruz didn't care for his little brother hanging out with a rival gang member. So, to teach them both a lesson, prosecutors allege, he opened fire Aug. 21 on the rival in an Addison shopping center.
The brazen shooting -- in broad daylight across the street from the police station -- left 14-year-old Francisco J. Baiza dead just minutes after he applied for a job.
Cruz and his co-defendant, Jhony Aragon, also 15, remain in custody. The law requires prosecutors to try them as adults, which means they may face the rest of their lives in prison.
Gunfire rang out about 4 p.m. Aug. 21 when, witnesses told police, the defendants approached Francisco in the parking lot of the Green Meadows Shopping Center, 110 W. Lake St.
At the time, the unarmed Francisco was with his friends -- including Cruz's younger brother. Prosecutors said Cruz accused Francisco of being in a rival gang, which he denied.
"I'm nothing," he replied, according to witness statements to police.
Both defendants are accused of then opening fire, each discharging a .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun. Authorities said Aragon's gun fired one bullet, likely toward the ground, as he took it out of a bag. They said Cruz fired three to five times.
Francisco died after being shot three times in the chest and stomach. Police soon tracked down Aragon and Cruz in a nearby apartment complex. They also recovered both handguns in a closet.
Authorities said both teens made videotaped police statements in which they admitted being in a gang and taking part in the shooting, which wasn't planned.
Aragon also accused Francisco of throwing a bottle or brick at his home earlier that day. Prosecutors said Francisco did not have a criminal past; both the defendants had juvenile arrests.