By JEFF MAYES
Homicide Watch Chicago
Sun-Times file photo by Ashlee Rezin
As the temperatures started to heat up last week, the homicide total in CHicago jumped to 19 last week, matching the high for any week so far in 2017.
And the year continues to keep pace with 2016's total of about 780 homicides, the highest total in the city in two decades. As of Wednesday, there had been 284 homicides in the city so far this year, exactly matching the total for the same date in 2016.
And two more of the dead were victims of domestic violence, including a 12-year-old girl brutally murdered by her mother's ex-boyfriend, a felon whom she called "Daddy."
But he is now charged with beating and stabbing the popular girl to death Sunday night in the Sheridan Park neighborhood on the North Side. Alexis Stubbs suffered multiple stab wounds and blunt trauma about 9:45 p.m. in the 4600 block of North Beacon, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. She was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead an hour later.
On Monday, authorities charged John Singleton with first-degree murder. The 31-year-old was ordered held without bond on Tuesday. He had pleaded guilty to aggravated domestic battery for choking Alexis' mother in 2014, and had just been released from prison in April.
Police said the incident apparently began as an argument because Alexis' mother did not want Singleton to stay at the apartment, where felons were not allowed. After the attack, police found Singleton hiding inside a portable toilet at a construction site, nearby, after using cellphone pings to track him.
In another case of domestic violence, bond was set at $350,000 Saturday for a man charged with fatally stabbing James E. Rice early Thursday inside his Back of the Yards neighborhood home on the South Side.
Marco C. Robertson, 26, faces second-degree murder charges for the death of the 44-year-old Rice, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Just before 4 a.m., the men got into a fight inside a home in the 2100 block of West 54th Street, and it ended with Robertson stabbing Rice multiple times, authorities said.
The older man was pronounced dead at the scene. Robertson was arrested “without incident” by responding officers, police said. Police called the attack “domestic-related” but did not specify their relationship.
In other homicides last week:
- A man was shot to death Sunday evening in the Back of the Yards. About 5:10 p.m., 24-year-old Christian Rodriguez was walking in the 4700 block of South Winchester when a green vehicle pulled up, someone got out and shot him in the abdomen and leg, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Rodriguez was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m.
- A man was shot to death in the Lawndale neighborhood an hour later Sunday on the Southwest Side. At 5:07 a.m., 24-year-old Dontae Thomas was standing in the 1400 block of South Avers when someone in a white vehicle fired shots, striking him in the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died about two hours later.
- One man was killed and two others wounded in another shooting early Sunday in Back of the Yards. The men--19, 22 and 33--were standing on the sidewalk at 3:13 a.m. in the 5300 block of South Seeley when someone in a vehicle fired shots, striking them all in the body, according to police. The youngest man, Ivan Gutierrez, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 22-year-old was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, while the oldest man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
- Another man died early Sunday, three days after he and a woman were shot in the Gage Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Jose D. Maldonado, 36, and the 30-year-old woman were in a vehicle at 12:12 a.m. Thursday heading east in the 2800 block of West 59th Street when they heard gunfire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.
Maldonado, of southwest suburban Justice, was shot in the head and chest, authorities said. The woman was shot in the shoulder. Both were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where Maldonado died at 1:31 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. The woman’s condition was stabilized at the hospital.
- Another man was killed early Sunday in a Humboldt Park neighborhood shooting on the West Side. Fredrick Vasquez, 29, was standing on the sidewalk at 1:28 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Monticello when someone in a gray vehicle opened fire, striking him in the chest, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken to Norwegian American Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
- A 21-year-old man was killed in a Belmont Central neighborhood shooting Friday evening on the Northwest Side. About 6:45 p.m., Louis "Sticks" Chamness was driving in the 5700 block of West Belden when people in a dark-colored car fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was shot in the chest. Chamness’ car then slammed into a parked car and flipped onto its side, police said. He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died at 7:28 p.m.
- An 18-year-old man from the western suburbs was fatally shot Friday evening in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. About 5:15 p.m., Romaine L. Elkins was standing in the 1500 block of North Linder when people in a dark-colored SUV started firing and he was shot in the chest, according to police and the medical examiner’s office The Naperville resident was taken to Loyola Medical Center, where he died at 5:52 p.m. After the shooting, the SUV sped west on Le Moyne and crashed into another vehicle, police said. A 71-year-old woman in the other vehicle suffered injuries in the crash, but was listed in good condition. No one was in custody.
- A 23-year-old man was found shot to death Thursday night in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side. At 10:08 p.m., officers responding to a call of a person shot in the 6200 block of South Ingleside found Xavier Joy with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of an apartment building, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Joy was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:23 p.m. He lived in the same neighborhood.
The son of a political activist and real estate professional, Joy had been studying at Morehouse College, but had returned home to Chicago to work with programs for underprivileged youth. Family members believe the shooting was the result of a robbery.
- A Cicero man died hours after being wounded in a shooting Thursday afternoon in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Isaac Reed, 25, was walking with his two young children, heading to a park in the 4600 block of South Troy at 1:07 p.m., according to authorities and witnesses. Two male suspects walked up and shots were fired. Reed was struck in the head, shoulder and back, and was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He was pronounced dead there about five hours later.
- A woman was killed and a man wounded Wednesday evening in a South Shore neighborhood shooting. At 5:03 p.m., three people were inside a red Chevrolet Impala driving west on 79th Street when someone inside a passing vehicle fired shots, according to police. The Impala then crashed into a light pole in the 1800 block of East 79th Street.
Kyra Young, 17, suffered a gunshot wound to the body and was taken to Christ Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m., police and the medical examiner’s office said. A 20-year-old man shot was shot in the face and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he remained in critical condition. The third passenger, a 25-year-old man, suffered injuries in the crash that were not thought to be life-threatening, police said. He was taken to Christ, where his condition was stabilized.
- Two teenage boys were killed in a shooting Wednesday morning in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side. Corey Hill Jr., 16; and Jacques Mack, 15, were standing on the sidewalk in the 1200 block of South Lawndale at 9:06 a.m. when a masked suspect armed with a rifle got out of a silver vehicle and fired multiple rounds, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Hill and Mack were shot multiple times and were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
- A man shot to death Tuesday night in the South Side Chatham neighborhood. Authorities said 27-year-old Tryce Caver, who lived about two blocks away, was found about 9:30 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Wabash. He had suffered several gunshot wounds and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:02 p.m. An autopsy Wednesday showed he died of multiple gunshot wounds.
- A man killed in an Englewood neighborhood drive-by shooting that left another man critically wounded Tuesday afternoon. The men were playing basketball at 3:07 p.m. in the 5800 block of South Shields when a light-colored car drove up and someone in the backseat opened fire, according to police. Malcolm Gayles, 26, was shot in the torso and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:51 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner's office. A 30-year-old man was shot in the chin and left leg, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
- A man was shot to death Monday evening in the Fuller Park neighborhood on the South Side. Devonta Dorsey, 23, was standing on the sidewalk about 7:40 p.m. in the 4400 block of South Shields when someone approached him, shot him in the head and drove off in a vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Dorsey was pronounced dead at the scene.
- A man was fatally shot Monday evening in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. Bruce Williams, 36, was in a gangway at 7:26 p.m. in the 4100 block of West Potomac when another male walked up and shot him in the head, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Williams was taken to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
- One man was killed and another wounded in a drive-by shooting Monday afternoon in the South Side Chatham neighborhood. They were walking down the street in the 8900 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue at 12:38 p.m. when someone in a light-colored vehicle began shooting, according to police.
Trevontez Morris, 22, was shot in the back and chest, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived in the Southwest Side Ashburn neighborhood. A 36-year-old man was shot in the left thigh and suffered a possible graze wound to the right leg, police said. He was also taken to Christ, where his condition was stabilized.