By Madeline Buckley
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — An legal professional for an 18-year-old man accused of capturing and killing a Chicago police officer earlier this month requested a decide Wednesday to set an inexpensive bail, arguing that he didn’t intend to kill a police officer and labored as a mentor to youngsters at a group heart.
Prepare dinner County Decide Ankur Srivastava, although, agreed with a earlier decide’s ruling and held Steven Montano, 18, with out bail within the slaying of Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso on March 1. Montano is charged with first-degree homicide, two gun-related felonies and misdemeanor counts of interfering with a report of home violence.
CPD officer Andres Vasqeuz-Lasso. (Picture/Chicago Police Division through AP)
Prosecutors alleged that Montano shot and killed Vásquez Lasso after officers responded to home disturbance at his residence within the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue within the Gage Park neighborhood. The costs have been outdated by a grand jury indictment, and his case was referred to the chief decide’s workplace for project to a trial decide.
“That is an extremely tragic case,” stated Julie Koehler, Montano’s public defender.
Montano appeared in court docket for the primary time through Zoom, as he was nonetheless hospitalized throughout his bond listening to earlier this month. The decide revisited the query of bail as a result of Montano was not current for the earlier listening to.
Koehler stated Montano labored with youngsters as a part of a working membership, working lengthy distances to launch aggression. She argued that Montano tried to adjust to instructions.
Assistant State’s Legal professional Anne McCord, although, countered that Montano didn’t cease to give up.
“He turned and shot the officer on faculty grounds in entrance of youngsters,” McCord stated.
Srivastava discovered that the allegations met a statutory requirement for a compulsory no bail willpower, including that witnesses noticed Montano working from officers and that the capturing was caught on physique digicam.
“You have been caught on scene red-handed,” Srivastava stated.
In line with prosecutors, Montano threatened to get his gun whereas arguing along with his live-in girlfriend, then grabbed her telephone to cease her from calling 911 earlier than the battle spilled outdoors.
Vásquez Lasso was amongst police who have been known as to the realm, and he started chasing the suspect to a fenced-in space with a playground, prosecutors stated. Each fired their weapons, with Montano hit within the mouth space and Vásquez Lasso within the head, arm and leg.
Kids and different folks on the playground took cowl beneath a slide, in accordance with prosecutors.
Vásquez Lasso was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital the place he died.
The officer was laid to relaxation earlier this month after cops, household and buddies mourned him throughout an emotional funeral service.
Associates and fellow officers described him as a loyal good friend and devoted officer. Vásquez Lasso, 32, immigrated to the USA from Colombia when he was 18 years outdated. He enrolled in school and joined the Chicago Police Division by 27.
Montano will subsequent seem in court docket on April 5.
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