The Chicago Sun-Times reported that 28-year-old Hector "Smurf" Romero, a volunteer with the anti-violence group Ceasefire, is thought to be among the three men found bound and shot to death in a 2004 Toyota Avalon earlier this week. This marks the second triple-homicide in the area in a month.
Police Superintendent Jody Weiss told reporters that the "execution style" killings appear to be gang-related.
Police were called to the crime scene on Tuesday morning after a woman on her way to work spotted two bodies in the backseat of the car, which was parked in an empty lot. Chief of Detectives Tommy Byrne said a third body was found in the trunk.
As of May 19, the identities of the three Latino men have yet to be identified; but the Toyota where the bodies were found belongs to Hector Romero, a father of three. The police have not discussed possible suspects or leads.
Hector Romero's cousin, Jeannett Gonzalez, believes he is among the three victims and said he would have called to say he was okay by now. She said he had no known enemies, even though his anti-violence activism likely put him in dangerous situations.
He also has an arrest record dating back to 1999, including a one-year jail sentence for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of drugs. He served an additional year in jail for a subsequent drug conviction.
The likely victim had worked as a violence "interrupter" for Ceasefire Illinois more than a year ago, where he mediated disputes in Chicago's East Ukrainian Village. Program director Tio Hardiman explained:
"You need guys with street credibility and guys who can get in, make sense of madness and bring guys around."
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