Prosecutors have accused a man of murder, alleging that he shot and killed another man after “trash talk regarding Venezuelan gangs.”
During a detention hearing on Friday, prosecutors said Yorgelder Hernandez, Fabian Ruiz, and a third person went to Racine, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2024, to buy an automobile. Hernandez, 22, wanted to buy the vehicle but couldn’t afford it, so the third member of the gang bought it instead.
Back in Chicago the next day, Ruiz, 27, and the third person agreed to pay Hernandez to work on the automobile, which they brought to an alley behind the 6100 block of South Martin Luther King Drive, where they all lived, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Rusch.
However, the group and others began drinking, and Hernandez never worked on the automobile. As the night progressed, the males in the group “were discussing Venezuelan gangs,” according to Rausch. He described the interaction as “trash talk” rather than an argument or debate.
At 1:44 a.m., someone handed Hernandez a revolver, and he shot Ruiz in the face and neck, according to the proffer.
Hernandez then departed in the automobile Ruiz had purchased, accompanied by the man who had delivered the firearm. The second person hasn’t been identified.
Ruiz died less than 30 minutes later.
Judge Ankur Srivastava granted the detention petition, claiming that Hernandez murdered Ruiz “in cold blood” after “a trivial discussion about Venezuelan gangs.”
According to court records, Hernandez was charged with holding a phony Social Security card, a fraudulent permanent resident ID, and an unlawful vehicle title during a traffic check on January 14. He never appeared in court, and a warrant for his arrest had been out since February 10.