Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Kade Heather

Illinois NAACP president pushed to resign for alleged comments calling migrants ‘savages,’ rapists, burglars

2023-12-14T11:16:03.378-06:00

Teresa Haley, president of the Illinois NAACP, is pictured in 2021. Members of the civil rights organization are calling for Haley to step down after comments she made in a conference call about asylum-seekers sleeping on the streets of Chicago.

Sun-Times file photo

The president of the Illinois NAACP allegedly referred to migrants as “savages,” rapists and burglars during a recent conference call, prompting calls for her to resign and apologize.

Teresa Haley was protesting the government rushing to provide migrants with housing and other services as unhoused Black people have been disregarded, according to video of the meeting shared by former DuPage County NAACP President Patrick Watson.

“But these immigrants that come over here, they’ve been raping people, they’ve been breaking into homes. They’re like savages as well,” a woman Watson identified as Haley can be heard saying on the video.

Haley couldn’t be reached for comment. Calls made to the Illinois NAACP were not returned.

Reached by WLS-Ch. 7 while on vacation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Haley denied making the statements and suggested the video was fabricated, noting, “with AI, anything is possible.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker called Haley’s comments about migrants “reprehensible” at an event this week.

“I would hope that she would apologize for the remarks. I also think that people should recognize that immigrants to this country are all around us,” Pritzker said.

Watson resigned as president of the DuPage County NAACP on Tuesday, calling Haley’s comments “abhorrent.”

“I will remain allying with the communities abhorrent to Ms. Haley, mistaken in her words that advocating powerfully and effectively for the descendants of the formerly enslaved means to denigrate others struggling to find their way,” Watson said.

He called on Haley to resign.

“Those granted positions must not allow themselves to become agents of hate speech and divisiveness,” he said.

Before the comments in question, Haley warned other Illinois cities to “get ready” for an influx of asylum-seekers, saying, “They’re up to 80,000 immigrants on the West Side of Chicago and the South Side.”

Nearly 26,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since August 2022, and almost 14,000 remain in shelters, according to the city.

“People are even renting out abandoned buildings and allowing them to live up in there, and that’s inhumane because they don’t have the sewage, the plumbing, the draining, but to get them off the streets, they’re just housing them anywhere,” the woman identified as Haley said.

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“Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington, Kankakee, just get ready if you declared yourself to be a safe haven or a safe place for immigrants to come, because they are shopping around, and the busloads are coming,” the woman warned.

Haley also serves as president of the NAACP Springfield branch. She is seeking election to the national NAACP Board of Directors.

Family of teen struck, killed in Hinsdale files suit against Fuller’s car wash

2023-12-14T08:05:00-06:00

Sean Richards “was sunshine, goodness and a positive influence on everyone around him,” his father, Brian Richards, said.

Clifford Law Offices

Brian Richards was living his dream of “being a father in a complete and wonderful family.”

“Unfortunately, that dream turned into a nightmare on a sunny summer day in Hinsdale,” when a Fuller’s car wash employee drove a Jeep Wrangler out of the car wash at a high rate of speed and struck and killed his son, 14-year-old Sean Richards, as he walked along the sidewalk. The driver then slammed into Fontano’s Subs across the street.

“We are, and always will be, completely heartbroken and devastated by Sean’s killing. A large part of us was killed that day along with Sean,” Brian Richards said.

The teen’s July death was a “predictable tragedy that was clearly avoidable,” Bradley Cosgrove, a lawyer for the Richards family, said Wednesday in announcing a lawsuit against Fuller’s.

Two similar incidents where drivers lost control of a car while exiting the downtown Hinsdale Fuller’s have occurred since 2007. In both cases, other cars were damaged, but no one was hurt, the lawsuit states.

Cosgrove said no safety barriers had been placed at the exit to the car wash until concrete bollards were installed weeks after Sean’s death.

“Why did it take our young son’s death for them to take any action to protect the public, especially given their knowledge of prior incidents at this site?” asked Sean’s mother, Kristine Richards.

She witnessed the accident on July 17 as she was on her way to meet Sean at the library. She described seeing the Jeep “fly out like a bullet” from the car wash. She lost sight of her son as the car sped across the street, jumped the curb and rammed into the sandwich shop. Kristine Richards then rushed to help Sean and held him while calling for help, Brian Richards said.

Sean died three days later at a hospital.

“Sean was a friend to all,” his father said, adding that he was a swimmer and a Boy Scout. “Sean had the unique ability to make those around him better people and at the same time make them feel better about themselves. He was sunshine, goodness and a positive influence on everyone around him.”

Brian Richards, left, Kristine Richards and attorney Bradley Cosgrove. Kristine Richards saw the Jeep Wrangler driven by a Fuller’s car wash employee dart out from the car wash lot in July and strike her son.

Clifford Law Offices

The driver of the Jeep, a 16-year-old Fuller’s employee, did not face criminal charges, but he was issued three traffic citations: failure to yield to a pedestrian on a sidewalk, failure to exercise due care and failure to reduce speed. His case is pending in DuPage County court.

No additional driver’s license is required for a 16-year-old to operate vehicles at a car wash, but attorneys for the Richards family argue that car wash industry standards “dictate that a 16-year-old shouldn’t be put behind the wheel of a vehicle.”

Fuller’s issued a statement Wednesday saying the legal process “does not change our heavy hearts and the grief we feel for the Richards family and the other families affected by this incident.

“While we cannot fathom what they are going through, we pray for the Richards family, all of those injured, and our entire community,” said Fuller’s, which operates more than 20 locations in Chicago and the suburbs. “The depth of this tragedy is felt daily by our family and employees. Our pledge is to remember and our promise is to serve the community faithfully as we have for decades.”

The Richards family said the Fuller’s location should be moved from the busy downtown area.

“Further incidents, perhaps even further fatal incidents, are inevitable,” Kristine Richards said. “If they do not do so on their own, Fuller’s should be made to move the car wash to an area with less foot, bicycle, scooter and stroller traffic.”

The lawsuit, filed by Clifford Law Offices, seeks at least $50,000 in damages. It names Fuller’s Car Wash, the Douglas Fuller family and the 16-year-old driver’s father as defendants.

Rev. Raymond Goedert, Chicago Archdiocese official who admitted knowing of clergy sexual abuse, survived Andrea Doria crash, dead at 96

2023-12-13T20:21:17.391-06:00

Rev. Raymond Goedert at Holy Name Cathedral in March 2013.

Richard Chapman / Sun-Times

The Rev. Raymond Goedert, a renowned church official who had many titles and later drew scrutiny over allegedly covering up priest sexual abuse allegations in the Chicago area, died Saturday.

He was 96.

The Rev. Goedert rose to prominence in the Catholic Church community upon his ordination in 1952, eventually rising to auxiliary bishop in 1991 and serving as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1995 until his retirement in 2003.

“He served the archdiocese in a variety of roles: as pastor, notary, vicar general and as administrator of the archdiocese after Cardinal Bernardin died,” Cardinal Blase Cupich said in a statement. “A friend to me and to so many and a caring brother to his siblings, he leaves this earth to be at the banquet of Our Lord. May his soul rest in peace.”

The Rev. Scott Donahue, whose first assignment after being ordained in 1982 was with the Rev. Goedert at St. Barnabas Parish, called the Rev. Goedert “a very good man.”

“As a priest I have received many blessings in my life. One of the greatest blessings in my 42 years of being a priest is my friendship with Bishop Raymond Goedert,” Donahue said.

Despite having remained in good standing as a bishop, the Rev. Goedert admitted to lawyers deposing him in 2007 that he knew 25 priests had broken the law over the years by molesting children but that he never alerted police, records show.

The alleged cover-ups happened a few years after clergy sex abuse scandals had come to light nationally in the 1980s.

The archdiocese has said it handles allegations of abuse differently now, immediately reporting such allegations to authorities.

The Rev. Goedert’s admission in 2007 was a low point in an otherwise successful 71 years with the Catholic Church.

The Rev. Raymond Goedert. He and three fellow Chicago-area priests were returning from Rome aboard the ship Andrea Doria in 1956 when it collided with another ship off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing 51 people. “I certainly thought the end had come,” the Rev. Goedert said in a 2012 interview.

Archdiocese of Chicago

The Rev. Goedert started as an assistant pastor at St. Gabriel Parish, where he later became pastor, and Blessed Sacrament Parish in Chicago, as well as at Mater Christi Parish in North Riverside.

Among his many roles, the Rev. Goedert had served as an ecclesiastical notary, archdiocesan consultor, archdiocesan director of a ministry for the widowed and president of the Canon Law Society of America, from where he received the Role of Law Award in 1975.

The Rev. Goedert was born Oct. 15, 1927, in Oak Park. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein.

In 1956, the Rev. Goedert earned a licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The transatlantic oceanliner he rode on his way back to the U.S., the Andrea Doria, sank when it collided with another passenger ship about 200 miles off Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The collision killed 51 people. The Rev. Goedert and three other Chicago-area priests were among the survivors of the wreck.

“I certainly thought the end had come,” the Rev. Goedert said in a 2012 interview with the New World (now Chicago Catholic) newspaper. “When I said the Hail Mary, the words ‘now and at the hour of our death’ sounded pretty immediate. I started making so many promises to God I don’t remember them all. They were genuine. I was reacting partially from faith and partially from fear.

“I certainly have great gratitude to God for sparing us,” the Rev. Goedert added. “I certainly had a great understanding that death could come at any time.”

A funeral Mass will take place Monday at 10 a.m. at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State Street. Cardinal Cupich will preside. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed.

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The Rev. Goedert is survived by many nieces and nephews, the Chicago Archdiocese said.

Zeds Dead’s ‘Hooks’ showcases artwork in Chicago gallery

2023-12-11T12:31:21.985-06:00

Zack Rapp-Rovan, known as “Hooks” in the EDM duo Zeds Dead, will host an art show Thursday in Logan Square.

Courtesy Zeds Dead

Zack Rapp-Rovan, known as “Hooks” in the legendary EDM duo Zeds Dead, is presenting more than just aural art during a busy few days this week in Chicago.

The entertainer will showcase his latest visual art project, “Lost and Found,” from 2-6 p.m. Thursday at Gallery 6, 3234 W. Fullerton Ave., in Logan Square. It’s a curtain-raiser to Zeds Dead’s concerts Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at the Salt Shed.

“It’s all going to be arranged in a specific way for people to look at and hang out, and I’ll be coming through to say hi,” Rapp-Rovan said of the gallery, adding that, of course, music will be attuned to “the vibe I’m trying to create.”

All showcased pieces, including posters and art pieces from previous works, will be available for purchase.

Untitled

“Lost and Found”

When: 2-6 p.m. Thursday

Where: Gallery 6, 3234 W. Fullerton Ave.

Info: RSVP at deadbeats.lnk.to/LostAndFound

Zeds Dead was formed by Rapp-Rovan and Dylan “DC” Mamid in 2009. The Toronto-born duo has since become one of the most successful electronic acts in the last decade, spanning EDM subgenres with their bass-heavy sound.

“Lost and Found” draws back to Rapp-Rovan’s artistic roots in graffiti, when as a young teen he would paint trains, underpasses or knock on people’s doors and ask to paint their garage or fence.

The upcycling-themed project involved sifting through thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets — the same way he searched for inspiration as a teen.

Dylan “DC” Mamid (left) and Zack “Hooks” Rapp-Rovan provide the music during one of Rapp-Rovan’s art shows in 2021 in Los Angeles.

Courtesy Zeds Dead

“Finding canvases is sort of the bane of an artist because it’s expensive,” Rapp-Rovan said. “I feel like with graffiti, it’s very versatile, so it lends itself to all types of objects. And I believe in recycling.”

Among the exhibit’s highlights is a collage of old vinyl records — “like dollar bin kind of weird stuff that nobody wants” — that he brushed up with his own graffiti touch, most notably the “Hooks” nickname, he said.

One album cover depicts a man playing the alpenhorn in the Swiss Alps, with “Hooks” painted in line with the shape of the instrument. Another shows a mountain range with the words, “From the Highlands” changed to, “From the Hookslands.”

The artwork of “Hooks,” a member of the EDM duo Zeds Dead, will be on display in the “Lost and Found” art project on Thursday at Gallery 6. The centerpiece of the project is a collection of old vinyl records he used as canvases for graffiti.

Courtesy Zeds Dead

He treated the album mosaic as he would drawing graffiti, embracing the colors and shapes that the album presents.

“When you’re doing (graffiti), there’s always things that you have to paint around — objects or an eavestrough or some sort of pipe or metal — and incorporate your color scheme into the color of the wall,” Rapp-Rovan said.

Other mesmerizing artwork in the “Lost and Found” project were formed on old wooden boards, as well as a table he recently found.

Rapp-Rovan, 35, brought a pop-up art show to Chicago in 2021 and has done others in Denver, Los Angeles and New York.

He and Mamid feel a connection with Chicago, Rapp-Rovan said, where they’ve made yearly stops in the fall and have been a familiar summer music festival headliner.

“Chicago shows us so much love over the years,” Rapp-Rovan said. “It’s always been one of our favorite places to play. The fans are incredible; they give so much energy. The city itself has a lot of charm. I love spending time there, and it’s just kind of like a second home.”

Rapp-Rovan is striving to expand his visual art audience beyond those who know him for his music.

“I’m sort of trying to build myself as a visual artist,” he said, “sort of gradually show people that I do that, so someone might be into that and not necessarily be a Zeds Dead fan.”

Suspect had relationship with mother of slain Romeoville family: police

2023-12-07T18:09:34.159-06:00

A family of four was found shot to death in their Romeoville home in mid-September. Days later, a man sought in the slayings and his fiancee crashed their car during a traffic stop in Oklahoma. The man was found shot to death and the woman had gunshot wounds.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

A man who was a “credible suspect” in the September shooting deaths of a Romeoville family had a relationship with the adult female victim, authorities said Thursday.

Nathaniel Huey Jr., 31, was immediately identified as a suspect in the deaths of Alberto Rolon, 38, Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, and their two sons, 7 and 9, at their home in the 500 block of Concord Avenue, according to Romeoville police. Three dogs also were found dead in the house.

The family was killed sometime between 9 p.m. Sept. 16 and 5 a.m. the next day, police said.

Huey and his fiancée, Ermalinda Palomo, 50, who was considered a “person of interest” in the family slaying, died Sept. 20 in a shooting and fiery crash in Catoosa, Oklahoma, 645 miles from the crime scene.

Police, spotting their car as matching one in a national crime alert, tried to conduct a traffic stop. At the time, Palomo had been reported by her family as a “missing/endangered person,” police said.

Their car crashed and caught fire. Officers found Huey in the car shot to death and Palomo with gunshot wounds. She later died at a hospital, officials said.

Police have revealed through the investigation that Huey and Bartolomei had a relationship, of which Rolon and Palomo were both aware.

Police say Zoraida Bartolomei, left, who was shot to death along with her husband and their two sons, had a relationship with Nathaniel Huey Jr., considered a credible suspect in the deaths.

Facebook

Police now say Palomo knew of Huey’s plans to kill Bartolomei and her family.

She drove Huey from their home in Streamwood to Bartolomei’s home in Romeoville and back to Streamwood on the night of the shooting, according to “digital evidence” that tracked the path of their car, police said.

A lawyer for Palomo’s family, however, said nearly a week after the shooting that she had been at home asleep at the time of the slayings.

Ermalinda Palomo, pictured, died after a fiery crash with Nathaniel Huey Jr.

Provided

A direct motive for the killings hasn’t been established, and no other suspects have emerged, police said.

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The case remains under investigation by Romeoville police, as forensic evidence is still pending analysis.

Chicago violence: Man shot during fight outside Old Fashioned Donuts in Roseland

2023-12-07T15:38:35.249-06:00

A man was shot during a fight Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, outside Old Fashioned Donuts in Roseland.

Google Maps

A man was shot during a fight Thursday afternoon outside Old Fashioned Donuts, the beloved Roseland neighborhood bakery.

The 39-year-old man started arguing with another man who pulled out a gun and fired shots about 2:10 p.m. in front of the store in the 11200 block of South Michigan, according to Chicago police.

He suffered two gunshot wounds to the lower body and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition, police said.

The shooting left a bullet hole in a storefront window, an Old Fashioned Donuts worker said. No other injuries were reported.

The gunman took off west on 113th Street, police said. No arrests were reported.

Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown pleads not guilty to murder in mom’s death

2023-12-06T20:54:09.293-06:00

Former NFL player Sergio Brown has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and concealing a homicidal death in the alleged slaying of his mother, Myrtle Brown.

Associated Press

Former NFL player Sergio Brown has pleaded not guilty to murder and concealing homicide charges in connection with his mother’s death this year in Maywood.

Brown, 35, appeared in a Maywood courtroom Wednesday before Cook County Judge Geary Kull, who ordered that Brown can appear at future court dates without handcuffs or mobility restrictions. Brown is being held in Cook County Jail as he awaits trial.

His mother, Myrtle Brown, was found dead in September, wrapped in a sheet in tall grass less than 200 feet from her home, prosecutors have said. An autopsy found she suffered several injuries from an assault.

Myrtle Brown’s body was found in this creek near her Maywood home.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times (file)

Brown, who lived with his 73-year-old mother, was the last person seen with her. He also was observed burning fabric the night of her death Sept. 14, prosecutors have said. Brown bought a one-way plane ticket to Cancún, Mexico, and flew out the next morning.

He was considered missing for nearly a month until he was found in Mexico, deported to San Diego, then extradited to Maywood in October, officials said.

Brown was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealing a homicidal death.

Brown played football at Proviso East High School, then played at Notre Dame between 2006 and 2009. His NFL career lasted seven seasons, with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.

His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 24.

Hot tub boats to offer mini cruises on Chicago River during the winter

2023-12-06T19:05:14.519-06:00

The Chicago Electric Boat Co. will operate two hot tub boats through March. Prices range from $278 on weekdays to $350 on weekends and $418 on holiday weekends.

Provided

UPDATE: ‘I’ve never driven a hot tub’: New winter boating attraction hits Chicago River

Taking a warm boat ride down the Chicago River doesn’t have to end when summer’s over.

Open-air, hot tub boat cruises are set to launch Friday at the Marina City docks, 300 N. State St., by the Chicago Electric Boat Co.

The boat company’s co-founder, Ron Silvia, called the new attraction a BYOB, “float and socialize” city experience that allows customers to drive themselves in a hot tub transformed into a boat.

“It’s not a long-distance cruise. It’s to hang out within a few blocks of our main location at Marina City,” Silvia said in a statement.

The cruise comes with some rules:

Drivers must be at least 21
Passengers must be at least 13 years old
Groups must have a designated captain who remains sober
Groups must provide their own drinks
No food is allowed
Boats will not operate in temperatures less than 25 degrees or when ice is present

The Chicago Electric Boat Co. will have two hot tub boats in operation throughout the winter until about March, offering 90-minute rentals ranging from $278 on weekdays, $350 on weekends and up to $418 on holiday weekends.

The electric hot tub boats hold up to six passengers, and the tub water can reach up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boats will be cleaned for about 30 minutes between rides, the company said.

Heated changing rooms are also available at the dock.

Elgin police officer charged with child pornography possession

2023-12-06T14:47:21.321-06:00

Adobe stock photo

An Elgin police officer has been placed on administrative leave as he faces child pornography charges.

Jordan Collins, 33, was charged Wednesday with five felony counts of possession of child pornography in DeKalb County.

He was arrested while on duty Monday night after investigators with the Illinois Attorney General’s office searched his home in Kirkland and found evidence of child pornography, the attorney general’s office said.

Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley said Collins was put on administrative leave “immediately following the arrest with additional action expected following review of the criminal charges.”

Collins has worked for the department for about five years.

“The criminal actions of a single police officer do not define the Elgin Police Department,” Lalley said in a statement. “This department will never deviate from upholding the highest standards of integrity, accountability and dedication to the community it serves.”

A judge ordered Collins held in jail as he awaits trial. He is due back in court Dec. 20.

The attorney general’s office and the DeKalb County state’s attorney’s office will co-prosecute the case.

Longtime limo driver, father of 2 shot, killed in Austin

2023-12-04T21:36:50.902-06:00

Mohammed K. Al Hijoj, 39, was fatally shot Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, while driving in the Austin neighborhood, officials said. Al Hijoj came to the U.S. 15 years ago from Jordan and has been a limo driver for more than 10 years. He mentored younger drivers.

Provided

The death of Mohammed Al Hejoj brought the tight-knit community of Chicago limousine drivers even closer.

“Everybody loved him, everybody respected him, everybody was there for him just for the fact that he’s always there for people,” said Amer Alrifaee, a fellow limo driver and one of Al Hejoj’s closest friends.

Al Hejoj was driving his black 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV with four passengers in the 1700 block of North Lotus Avenue in the Austin neighborhood about 5:40 p.m. Sunday when a witness saw the car stop, then heard several gunshots and spotted the four passengers jumping out of the car and fleeing, Chicago police and Alrifaee said.

Al Hejoj, 39, was shot multiple times and was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died of gunshot wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled a homicide.

Police recovered a handgun a few feet away from the car, but no arrests were reported.

Mohammed Al Hejoj was married and had two young children.

Provided

Al Hejoj, of the Dunning neighborhood, was married and had two young children. He moved to the U.S. about 15 years ago from Jordan and had been a limo driver in Chicago for more than 10 years.

One of the first friends he made after moving to the U.S. was Alrifaee, who had been in the limo business since 2000.

“One time he told me, ‘You’re a role model. I want to help people like you do. I want to do this, I want to do that. I want to help new drivers,’” Alrifaee said, adding that Al Hejoj quickly became a mentor himself.

Al Hejoj would make extra efforts to reach out to new drivers and give them tips on being a chauffeur and explain the customer service aspect of the job.

He also brought the industry closer by creating a community group on WhatsApp, which grew to more than 1,000 members. Area drivers communicate and help each other, for example, covering for a driver who isn’t available to pick up a client, Alrifaee said.

After a day of driving, Al Hejoj would often meet up with other drivers for a bite to eat.

“We loved to hang out. We loved to go out to eat all the time,” Alrifaee said.

Kabobi, a Persian and Mediterranean restaurant in Albany Park, “was our hangout spot,” Alrifaee said. “That was one of the last restaurants we all went to.”

Alrifaee launched a GoFundMe for Al Hejoj’s funeral expenses. It had raised more than $45,000 as of Monday night.

Alrifaee didn’t know many details of Sunday’s attack, other than that it happened while Al Hejoj was on the job.

He said Al Hejoj could have been put in contact with customers through a number of routes, including taking a call directly from somebody or booking a ride through his company.

Al Hejoj also provided rides through Uber Black, which matches riders with top-rated drivers in luxury cars.

Alrifaee expressed concerns about not only being a driver in Chicago, but specifically using rideshare apps. He said drivers have run into issues with rideshare apps because, in some cases, “people create fake accounts to carjack drivers and [for] armed robberies.”

Carjackings have surged across the city over the last few years, increasing by 200% in the last three years and by nearly 50% since last year, according to police data.

“With everything going on in Chicago, I leave my house, and it feels like it’s the last time I’m going to see my family with the things that I see on the road, the things that I hear about,” Alrifaee said. “All of the carjackings, I don’t feel safe, to be honest, driving in the city of Chicago.”

Contributing: Mary Norkol