Brothers deny implicating teen in gang murders of Palatine father, son
Two brothers, who prosecutors say gave statements implicating fellow gang member Marco Lopez in the murders of a Palatine man and his son, backed off those statements when they testified in court Wednesday.
In written and videotaped statements to police, Panfilo Gaytan, 17, and Adalberto Gaytan, 16, said they were with Lopez, 19, at their Palatine home at about 11:30 p.m. March 18, 2014, when Lopez said he had to take care of something, according to testimony. In their statements, they said Lopez retrieved a revolver from beneath a pile of hats, left the apartment for about an hour and returned "huffing and puffing."
Prosecutors say during that time, Lopez, a member of a Chicago street gang, went to an apartment in the 1900 block of North Green Lane where 15-year-old Luis Reynoso lived with his family. Lopez also had lived there for a time after his own family kicked him out for his gang involvement, prosecutors said.
They accuse Lopez of shooting Luis Reynoso three times in the chest at about 12:20 a.m. March 19, 2014. After shooting Luis, Lopez turned the gun on Luis' father, Segundo Reynoso, 36, striking him in the head, prosecutors said.
Authorities say Lopez shot the victims because he believed Luis snitched to police about a string of burglaries the teens had committed together. Segundo Reynoso, who authorities say was not in a gang, managed to stagger to a neighbor's apartment where he collapsed and died.
Defense attorneys say Lopez is innocent. They say another man, a member of a rival gang who Palatine police questioned and released, murdered the Reynosos because Luis initiated the man's son into Luis' gang.
Under questioning from Cook County assistant state's attorney Michael Crowe, Panfilo and Adalberto Gaytan testified they made up their statements to police after officers threatened to deport their parents.
Panfilo Gaytan named a detective he said made the threats but Adalberto could not remember a name and provided only a vague description of a "little bit tall guy" with gray hair.
Also on Wednesday, Oscar Andres, a neighbor of the Reynoso family, testified he heard a man pound on the door to the Reynosos' apartment shortly before midnight on March 18, 2014. The man told the Reynosos to surrender any guns and to send Luis out, Andres said.
Segundo did not open the door to the man, who descended the stairs and left the building, said Andres, who testified he watched through his window as the man walked away.
About 10 minutes later Andres heard shots and opened his door to find Segundo, who was bleeding extensively from a head wound and collapsed on Andres.
Segundo Reynoso never named the person who shot him, Andres said.
Testimony continues Thursday in Rolling Meadows.