Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Emmanuel Camarillo

McKinley Park resident ‘terrorized’ by Chicago’s weekend street takeovers

2023-12-11T21:31:47.896-06:00

Fireworks are shot from cars in a street takeover in McKinley Park. A resident has complained to the alderperson and police, but takeovers have occurred nearly every weekend since April from midnight to 3:30 a.m.

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Every weekend for nearly nine months, a McKinley Park resident has felt the walls of her home rumbling from the power of souped-up cars revving their engines nearby.

The “deafening” screech of tires drifting at 32nd Street and Hoyne Avenue have made it impossible for her to sleep, she said. The meet-ups — known as street takeovers — draw crowds of 100 to 150 people and can last from midnight to 3:30 a.m.

Like clockwork, the resident, who asked to not be named out of concern for her safety, said she calls the cops, who try to disperse the crowds, only for drivers to return with “remarkable consistency,” sometimes within hours.

The gatherings began there in April despite an attempt by the city to crack down last year. The resident says the noise and commotion have eroded her quality of life, and she feels even worse for her neighbors with young children.

“It’s to the point I recognize specific 911 operators’ voices,” the resident said. “It’s ridiculous. I hate that this has become a reality.”

A McKinley Park resident points to the intersection where street takeovers are a regular occurrence. Skid marks on the pavement are a sign of drivers doing burnouts.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Such gatherings were supposed to have been addressed in July 2022, when the City Council empowered the Chicago Police Department to impound vehicles involved in the street stunts. That was in response to highly publicized meets in the West Loop and other areas of the city, some of which led to clashes with officers and another that resulted in a deadly shootout in Brighton Park.

But the ordinance doesn’t seem to have deterred the drivers who have gathered at the corner in McKinley Park this year. The resident says she has seen officers taking down license plate numbers, yet she continues to see the same vehicles and drivers return each weekend.

The first incident occurred April 16, when about 150 young people blocked traffic, performed stunts in their cars and ripped down street signs, according to the resident. She said she later found images on social media of someone driving around with the signs, which have yet to be replaced. She also found videos posted from the corner of her block of cars driving in doughnuts and passengers shooting off fireworks.

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The same scene has repeated itself every Saturday since, with the exception of just four weekends, according to the resident. She’s collected dozens of photos of the crowded intersection.

A Chicago police spokesperson said the most recent information on reports of drag racing in the 3200 block of South Hoyne were multiple calls made to 911 about 12:50 a.m. on Dec. 3. A police report wasn’t generated for the incident.

The resident said Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) has made efforts to set up a meeting with Chicago police, but nothing has happened.

Skid marks on a McKinley Park street where a resident says street takeovers have been happening weekend nights since April.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

“I understand the bureaucracy turns slowly, but this has been 8 1/2 months,” the resident said.

Ramirez said she’s been communicating with the local police district and has made headway in securing a meeting to address adding some barriers at the intersection to stop the gatherings.

“I’ve asked the police department to sit down with our office and [the resident] to discuss what it is that we can put in terms of physical barriers to stop them from being there,” Ramirez said.

Fireworks are shot from cars in a street takeover in McKinley Park.

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According to the resident, a police officer contacted her Thursday morning and told her the department was aware of the issue and had received 180 reports of drag racing on that corner so far this year.

Ramirez noted that police have had some success curbing other meets in the area, such as one that regularly took place at a Mariano’s grocery store near Ashland and Archer avenues.

But Ramirez said there needs to be more discussions about stopping similar gatherings, not just in her ward but in other areas of the city.

Ramirez acknowledged that stopping the street takeovers altogether is challenging for police because crowds chased away from one location regroup elsewhere.

“What happens is most times if there is a specific location, [police] work on it and other areas pop up,” Ramirez said.

Street takeovers have been a regular occurrence most weekends since April on a McKinley Park street, residents say.

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Drivers and spectators rely on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and even the encrypted messaging app Telegram to share meetup locations. When those are broken up, many cruise around the city until they receive a message with the next address.

In October, Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) introduced an ordinance aimed at holding parents and legal guardians responsible for kids engaging in these activities.

The ordinance would make it a crime for any parent or legal guardian to “willfully and/or knowingly allow a minor in their charge to engage in a host of offenses wreaking havoc on the quality of life in Chicago neighborhoods. Those offenses range from panhandling, underage and public drinking and cannabis use, violating curfew and ‘climbing on’ cars to street takeovers and drag racing.”

Those charged under this ordinance could be fined $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the offense, and would have to undergo “licensed family counseling.”

In a Sun-Times story on the meets from last year, spectators Dee and Jojo said those who attend the meetups are not bad people.

“I think there is a bad misconception with these meets that it’s rowdy and uncivilized, but really we try and practice safety,” Dee said. “Everyone tries to highlight safety and there are group chats and Instagram pages that tells everyone to drive safely.”

Chicago police said in a statement that officers will continue to enforce the impound ordinance to hold those caught drifting and drag racing accountable.

“Those who are caught violating the ordinance will have their vehicles impounded and face a fine of up to $10,000,” police said. “We will continue to do everything we can to enhance public safety, including cracking down on this dangerous and illegal activity.”

The department was not immediately able to provide information on the number of arrests made or the number of vehicles impounded.

The resident does not want to see the people involved overly penalized, but she says something must be done to deter them from returning to the corner each weekend — she has proposed installing a traffic circle at the intersection.

“We’ve been terrorized by these kids, and I just can’t do it anymore.”

People watch as a car drifts in circles during a takeover at West 119th and South Halsted streets on the Far South Side in August 2022. Officials say crowds chased away from one location frequently regroup elsewhere and continue their stunts.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times (file)

A person hangs outside the window of a Dodge Charger during a street takeover at Ford City Mall in summer 2022.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times (file)

Stuart Levin, renowned Rush physician and educator, dies at 88

2023-12-10T20:58:11.519-06:00

Dr. Stuart Levin

Rush University Medical Center

When Dr. Jochen Reiser took over as chair of the department of internal medicine at Rush from the renowned Dr. Stuart Levin, he found his predecessor had left some items for him in his office.

Among several pieces of memorabilia was a photograph of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which Reiser said perfectly encapsulated Dr. Levin’s approach to medicine — and life.

“That was him; he is one who wanted to break walls down and connect people, and he did that in his very well-spoken and intense way,” Reiser said. “He had the passion and the strongest and best intentions behind his actions.”

Dr. Levin’s illustrious career as a physician and educator at Rush University Medical Center spanned nearly five decades and saw him take on various leadership roles. He helped transform the hospital, his colleagues said, and he always placed a patient’s needs above everything else.

Dr. Levin died at Rush on Dec. 4 following an illness. He was 88.

He was known as one of Chicago’s best diagnosticians — a doctor who specializes in identifying conditions in patients — and was routinely asked to weigh in on medical cases that could not be solved.

He was appointed the first director of the section of infectious diseases at Rush in 1969 and later chaired the internal medicine department from 1991 until his retirement in 2012.

In 1986, he was appointed the first James R. Lowenstein professor of medicine. Dr. Levin was also vice dean of Rush Medical College and an associate vice president for medical affairs.

But Dr. Levin’s accomplishments stretched beyond the Rush campus and into the city, particularly the West Side, where he lived for the duration of his career.

Interim Rush University President Dr. Larry Goodman (from left); Dr. Stuart Levin; Rush interim Dean of Medicine Dr. Cynthia Brincat; Rush President and CEO Dr. Omar Lateef; Dr. Thomas Deutsch; Dr. Jochen Reiser and Rush interim Chair of Medicine Dr. Monnie Wasse. The photo was taken at Reiser’s farewell ceremony in August.

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He cared deeply about access to care for the underserved and was a vocal champion of the rights of people with HIV and AIDS to get treatment regardless of their ability to pay.

Dr. Levin was at the forefront of the creation of the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center, one of the nation’s leading treatment centers for people living with HIV/AIDS.

“He was a moral and ethical leader who always did the right thing no matter what the opposition was to it, and that sort of moral and ethical mentorship was maybe his most critical,” said Dr. David Ansell, senior vice president of community health equity at Rush.

“He grew up in some of the same West Side neighborhoods of the patients he ended up treating afterward,” Ansell added. “So he didn’t forget his roots and never forgot the plight of the common woman and man.”

Ansell also credited Dr. Levin with being one of the first to give nurses more authority in patient care.

“If there was ever a very sick patient, he didn’t want to delay getting that patient to the ICU, so he empowered the nurses on the floor if they were worried about a patient to send the patient to the ICU,” Ansell said. “That was not practiced in any other institution that I know of.”

In 2008 Rush established the Stuart Levin, MD, professorship, which provides financial support for medical students at Rush University. Dr. Levin consistently supported the fund since it was established.

Reiser said Dr. Levin was also a mentor for generations and was always available to share great bits of advice, or offer perspective on an issue, even after he retired. Reiser remembers one moment early on in his time as the new chair of internal medicine where he sought Dr. Levin’s help.

During one of their regular phone calls, Reiser mentioned that some staff members were hesitant to get on board with changes he was making as their new chair.

Dr. Levin said he would take care of it, and met with those members, reminding them of their mission as health care providers and how they affect people’s lives.

“Who does that, right? Who does that after retirement?” Reiser said. “He took accountability and said I should have prepared them differently before you came and because of this, let me help you now to address it.”

Reiser said one of the factors that made Dr. Levin such an accomplished diagnostician was the sheer breadth of his knowledge.

“He had the clinical experience because he was so involved with complicated cases that he was very fast arriving at the diagnosis,” Reiser said. “Remember, this was the time when people couldn’t look anything up. You had your knowledge and maybe you could read about something in a book, but you couldn’t go online and Google something.”

Reiser stepped down as chair in August, and Dr. Levin spoke at his farewell ceremony, even though his health was declining. Reiser is now president of the University of Texas Medical Branch.

In 2016, Dr. Levin received the Trustee Medal, Rush’s highest honor, for his longtime support of Rush’s mission and dedication to Chicago and beyond.

“For those of us who knew him, we would say he was among the greatest doctors in America,” Ansell said.

Dr. Levin is survived by his wife and several children and grandchildren. Services have been held.

McDonald’s spinoff CosMc’s is opening in Chicago suburb

2023-12-06T20:11:23.954-06:00

CosMc’s opens Friday in Bolingbrook. The new concept restaurant’s first location is part of a limited test, with a handful of additional restaurants planned in the coming months.

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A close encounter of the fast food kind?

McDonald’s is launching the first of its new concept restaurants dubbed CosMc’s in suburban Bolingbrook with a soft opening Friday.

The opening of the first location is part of a limited test, with a handful of additional restaurants planned in the coming months, the company said Wednesday.

The name for the new spinoff restaurant comes from CosMc, one of the chain’s obscure mascots from the ’80s — a robot-alien hybrid from outer space.

The beverage-focused restaurant will feature a range of specialty drinks like S’mores Cold Brew, Tropical Spiceade, Churro Frappe and Blackberry Mint Green Tea.

Customers will also be able to customize their drinks with boba, energy boosts or vitamin C shots and flavored syrups.

The outlets will also serve a small food menu, including a few of the burger giant’s most well-known offerings such as McMuffins and McFlurrys “all designed to boost your mood into the stratosphere,” the company said. Other offerings include a Spicy Queso Sandwich, Savory Hash Brown Bites and pretzel bites served with dipping sauces.

The restaurant is intended to be a “uniquely seamless digital and drive-thru experience” with dynamic menu boards and cashless payment devices, the company said.

McDonald’s plans to open 10 CosMc’s pilot locations by the end of 2024 in Texas.

West Side fire kills man, leaves his mom, 2 cops injured

2023-12-06T18:38:20.323-06:00

A man is dead and a woman was in critical condition Wednesday after a fire swept through their home in the 1200 block of South Kedvale Avenue in Lawndale.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A fire tore through a Lawndale home Wednesday, critically injuring a beloved community matriarch and killing her adult son.

Dessie Street escaped the flames on her own and collapsed outside her home at 1249 S. Kedvale Ave.

The body of her son, Carlos Street, was later recovered in the charred wreckage. He likely tried to flee but was crushed by debris near the front door, Chicago Fire Department officials said.

Two Chicago police officers arrived just after 1 a.m. before fire crews. They were injured when the front porch collapsed as they searched for Carlos Street, authorities said.

One officer was pulled from the burning debris and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. He has since stabilized. The other officer, whose leg was caught in the rubble, was treated at Rush University Medical Center and has been released.

Dessie Street, 75, was initially taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, where she was intubated, Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said Wednesday afternoon. She suffered burns and smoke inhalation.

She was stabilized and taken to the hospital’s burn unit, her brother, Joseph Johnson, said Wednesday evening.

“She’s doing a little better, we’re praying for the best, so that’s the good thing,” Johnson said.

Johnson identified Dessie and Carlos Street for the Sun-Times. He stood outside for hours Wednesday morning as fire crews used an excavator to take apart the gutted home searching for his nephew.

“I’m hurt, I also feel numb. I’ve been crying all morning,” Johnson said. “At the same time, I gotta keep it together for my family.”

An excavator tears into a Lawndale house as fire crews searched for a missing man. The man, Carlos Street, was found dead. His mother is hospitalized with burns and smoke inhalation.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Johnson said Carlos Street was a “real sweet kid” in his 30s and had special needs.

Carlos Street enjoyed video games and had a talent for working with computers, Johnson said.

He lived with his mom, a seamstress who ran her business out of the home and had lived there for 25 years, Johnson said.

Relatives and neighbors described her as a leader and community matriarch who would always lend a helping hand. She was often available to provide a last-minute hem on a dress or to patch a hole.

“She’s like a mother to everybody in the neighborhood,” Johnson said of his older sister.

Her birthday is Thursday, Johnson said. For every birthday, he brings her poinsettia flowers and Champagne to celebrate.

“She raised me. My mother died when I was 14, so she’s always been like a second mother to me,” Johnson said.

Portions of the fire-gutted home in the 1200 block of South Kedvale Avenue in Lawndale were torn down in the search for a missing resident.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Next-door neighbor Sylvester Jackson said he was awakened by Dessie Street yelling for help before firefighters knocked on his door to warn him about the fire.

“I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna be homeless,’” Jackson told the Sun-Times. “That’s the first thing that came to my mind. I’m looking at this horrific fire.”

He saw Street collapsed and covered with cuts and scrapes outside her home.

“It hit me hard, seeing her down on the ground like that,” Jackson said.

Jackson, 62, said he’s known Dessie Street and her family his whole life. He was good friends with one of her brothers when they were growing up, and their two families have been close for generations.

“She’s a real special lady; it’s just awful this happened to her,” Jackson said.

The cause of Wednesday morning’s fire at 1249 S. Kedvale remains under investigation.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The search for Carlos Street

During a news conference at the fire scene, fire department District Chief Jim McDonough said the police officers were in the area and arrived ahead of firefighters when the 12-by-12-foot porch collapsed.

“They went in to look for the second victim,” McDonough said. “They kicked the front door in, and the amount of fire and smoke came over them, and that front porch came loose.”

The attic collapsed onto the first floor of the home, officials said, burying Carlos Street under several feet of debris. It took crews hours to recover his body.

“He was found on the first floor, in the front, not too far from the front door,” Langford said. “He must have been trying to make his way out.”

The flames died down by 8 a.m., and gas service was shut off so the fire department could use heavy equipment to dismantle the structure and search for Carlos Street.

Before Street’s body was found, fire department Cmdr. Walter Schroeder said officials knew one person might still be inside, but firefighters were not able to get into the building because they feared it could collapse.

Before she was taken away in an ambulance, Dessie Street told firefighters and officers she thought her son was still inside, Langford said.

Fire crews tore the house down Wednesday morning. The cause of the fire remains unknown, Langford said, and determining a cause might be impossible given the damage.

“The forensic evidence is pretty much destroyed as the building was taken apart, so we’re gonna have to go on witness statements,” Langford said. “It’s going to take a while, if we ever know.”

A firefighter stands in front of the Lawndale house where resident Carlos Street was killed in a fire Wednesday morning.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Voodoo Doughnut reveals opening date for first Chicago location

2023-12-06T07:33:00-06:00

Chicago residents will soon be able to get their hands on a box of Voodoo Doughnuts. The Chicago outlet will be the company’s 22nd store in the U.S.

Voodoo Doughnut

Voodoo Doughnut has announced the grand opening date for its first Chicago location.

The popular doughnut shop known for its unique flavor creations will open its Fulton Market shop at 945 W. Randolph on Dec. 16 at 8 a.m., according to a news release. The first 50 people in the door will receive “a delightful surprise.”

A portion of the grand opening day’s sales will be donated to Make-A-Wish Illinois, the company said.

Voodoo Doughnut’s signature bacon maple bar.

Associated Press

Voodoo Doughnut was established in Portland, Oregon, in 2003 and quickly made a name for itself through its gourmet pastries, including the bacon maple bar and cannolo.

The Chicago store will be its 22nd location in the country.

“We are thrilled to open our first store in Chicago just in time for all to enjoy some of that Voodoo Magic during the holiday season,” said Chris Schultz, Voodoo Doughnut CEO.

Man charged with attempted murder in connection with multiple armed carjackings, robbery in Austin

2023-12-05T19:17:06.038-06:00

A man was arrested Dec. 4, 2023, after allegedly committing multiple carjackings and an armed robbery.

Sun-Times file

A man is facing felony charges in a series of armed carjackings and a robbery Monday in Austin.

Lennie Myles, 19, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated vehicular hijacking, attempted vehicular hijacking and robbery with a firearm, according to Chicago police. He is also charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.

Myles was arrested about 10:20 a.m. Monday in the 500 block of North Leamington, minutes after he allegedly threatened to take a vehicle at gunpoint from a 62-year-old man, police said.

The man was picking up trash around his garage when police say Myles approached him and asked for change for $20 before pulling out a gun, court documents state. The man grabbed a piece of wood and tried to hit Myles with it.

Myles aimed the gun at the man who then “heard the gun click” but it did not fire, according to the documents. He demanded the man’s car keys.

Myles pointed the gun at the man again and said, “I’m going to kill you,” according to court documents. The man managed to get away and had someone call police.

Officers attempted to stop Myles on the sidewalk, but he ran, police said. He was taken into custody after a brief chase. Officers recovered a loaded 9 mm handgun.

Police said Myles had gone on a mini-crime spree hours before he was arrested. He allegedly carjacked a 30-year-old man about 7:30 a.m. in the 5100 block of West Ferdinand, and robbed a 16-year-old boy in the 5100 block of West Kinzie around the same time.

Myles allegedly pushed a gun into the teen’s chest and demanded his jacket and shoes, according to police and court documents. He also allegedly threatened to kill the teen.

About an hour later, in the 5200 block of West Ohio, Myles allegedly got into a 40-year-old woman’s 2008 Honda Pilot, pointed a gun at her and demanded her keys, according to court documents.

Myles is on felony probation for possession of a stolen vehicle. His arrest report states that he told officers that he takes medication for a mental illness.

During his bail hearing Tuesday, a judge granted a health care evaluation for Myles and remanded him into the custody of the Cook County sheriff.

Family of man killed by police demand answers about shooting in Illinois

2023-12-04T20:41:24.721-06:00

Jack Murray’s mother, Donna Murray (center), cries Monday during a news conference about the fatal police shooting Friday of her 24-year-old son.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

The family of a man who was shot and killed by Elk Grove Village police last week said Monday they believed he had reached out to 911 for help with his health issues — as he had done in the past — and that officers were familiar with his emotional struggles.

Antonio Romanucci, attorney for the family of Jack Murray, said at a news conference in River North that his firm was conducting a civil investigation into the Friday shooting, focusing on “officers’ treatment of a known emotionally distressed person and their use of deescalation tactics.”

According to Romanucci, Murray, 24, was a Type 1 diabetic whose behavior could become “erratic” depending on his insulin levels. He called 911 for help whenever he felt like his health, mental or physical, was “not right.”

“In the past he had called Elk Grove Village police asking for help if he felt his own health and wellness were ever in danger,” said Romanucci, who was joined by Murray’s parents and siblings.

Romanucci added that they have “very good information” that Murray was the one who called 911 for help on Friday before he was confronted by police.

A distraught Tom Murray is comforted by attorney Antonio Romanucci. Romanucci’s firm is conducting an independent probe into the shooting death of Jack Murray, 24, by police officers in Elk Grove Village.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

“We believe the Elk Grove Village Police Department was familiar with Jack Murray and knew he occasionally called them for help when he was in physical or emotional distress,” Romanucci said.

He called for the police department to be transparent and release 911 calls, body camera footage and records of all known prior encounters officers had with Murray.

The family refuses to accept at face value the police department’s claim that Murray was armed with a knife when he was shot, Romanucci said.

“His family is deeply grieving and deserves answers on exactly what happened that Friday afternoon,” he said.

Jack Murray was a Type 1 diabetic whose behavior could become “erratic” depending on his insulin levels, his family’s attorney said.

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Murray was shot by officers about 4 p.m. after he left home in the 200 block of Fern Drive while holding a knife and then confronted the officers in a nearby yard, police said in a statement.

Murray was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide.

Romanucci said the family was not allowed by police to see Murray’s body in the hospital. He described that as “morally reprehensible.”

Five officers, not all of whom fired their weapons in the incident, have been placed on temporary administrative leave per department policy, Elk Grove Village police said.

The department has shared pertinent video with the Major Case Assistance Team, which is conducting an independent investigation of the incident, police said.

Elk Grove Village police are also conducting “a parallel criminal investigation in order to gain a complete understanding of the events that led to the incident.”

Participating in Monday’s news conference about the police shooting death of Jack Murray are, from left, Tom Murray, attorney Antonio Romanucci, Liz Belcaster, Donna Murray, Shannon Murray and Ryan Murray.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

The department said it planned on releasing 911 recordings and body camera footage as soon as “crucial investigative steps” have been taken.

The department did not respond to questions about its history with Murray or whether he had called 911 before.

Liz Belcaster, Murray’s aunt, says the family just wants answers so they can have closure.

“Jack was only 24 years old; he was just starting his life.” Belcaster said, speaking on behalf of the family. “We don't know what took place on Friday afternoon, but we know our family deserves answers.”

From right, Jack Murray’s brother Ryan, sister Shannon and mother, Donna listen as attorney Antonio Romanucci speaks during Monday’s news conference.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Attorney Antonio Romanucci called for the Elk Grove Village Police Department to be transparent and release 911 calls, body camera footage and records of all known prior encounters officers had with Jack Murray.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Man fatally shot at Oakbrook Terrace hotel

2023-12-03T18:09:00.642-06:00

Police have taken a suspect into custody in a shooting death Saturday at the Hilton Suites in Oakbrook Terrace.

Google Maps

A person was taken into custody in a fatal shooting Saturday at a hotel in Oakbrook Terrace.

Officers responded about 8:30 p.m. to a report of shots fired at the Hilton Suites, 10 Drury Lane, and found one person with gunshot wounds, Oakbrook Terrace police said.

The victim, Calvin Truitt, 33, was taken to an area hospital, where he died, according to police and the DuPage County coroner’s office.

Officers searched the hotel and located a person of interest, who was taken into custody, police said.

The shooting was described as an “isolated incident” by police, who added that there was no ongoing danger to the community.

The DuPage County Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigative Team and Oakbrook Terrace police are investigating.

Illinois Supreme Court rules insurers must cover cyclists, pedestrians hit by uninsured drivers

2023-11-30T21:32:34.267-06:00

Lawyers said the Illinois Supreme Court decision requiring insurers to pay claims in crashes involving uninsured motorists or hit-and-run drivers “affects all citizens because we all have insurance.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that insured pedestrians or bicyclists struck by a hit-and-run or uninsured driver should be entitled to uninsured motorist coverage from their insurance companies.

The court said auto insurance companies whose policies include language requiring a person to be in an insured motor vehicle to qualify for uninsured motorist coverage are violating both the Illinois Insurance Code and public policy.

The case stemmed from a hit-and-run in Chicago in September 2020. Fredy Guiracocha filed an uninsured motorist claim with Direct Auto on behalf of his then-14-year-old son Christopher, who was hit by a driver while riding his bicycle.

Guiracocha’s policy with Direct Auto extended coverage to members of his family. His son had suffered injuries to his right arm, shoulder and thigh that required medical treatment.

Uninsured motorist coverage helps people pay for damages caused by a driver who is not insured.

But Direct Auto denied the claim, citing language in its policy stating that uninsured motorist coverage is only available to insured people who are injured while they are in an insured automobile, and Christopher was on a bicycle.

“While we acknowledge the Guiracochas carried a heavy burden in seeking to invalidate the insurance policy, we find they met their burden where the provision in the policy limiting UM coverage to insureds occupying an ‘insured automobile’ violates section 143a of the Insurance Code and is unenforceable as a matter of public policy,” the opinion stated.

Lead attorney on the case Jonel Metaj explains how the Illinois Supreme Court ruling benefits the residents of Illinois during a press conference at the Disparti Law offices, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. The Illinois Supreme Court released its decision in favor of Fredy Guiracocha and Christopher Guirachoca against Direct Auto Insurance Company.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Jonel Metaj, lead attorney for the Guiracochas in the case, said he was “thrilled” with the court’s judgment.

“We are thrilled for our clients. We’re thrilled that we are setting law that essentially affects all citizens because we all have insurance. We don’t want these auto insurance companies to be able to restrict coverage,” Metaj said.

The auto insurance company did not dispute that Christopher was considered an insured person under his father’s policy, but it said section 143a of the Illinois Insurance Code does not require coverage for pedestrians or individuals not occupying a vehicle.

The case went to Cook County Circuit Court, and on Jan. 12, 2022, Judge Sophia Hall entered an order granting summary judgment in favor of Direct Auto, declaring that the company did not owe any coverage.

The Guiracochas filed an appeal, and the Illinois Appellate Court reversed the Circuit Court’s decision on Sept. 30, 2022, stating that Direct Auto’s “restrictive language” limiting coverage violates section 143a of the Illinois Insurance Code.

In affirming the appellate court’s decision, the Illinois Supreme Court wrote in its opinion that the language of that section of the insurance code makes clear that an insurance policy in Illinois cannot be issued “unless it provides coverage to ‘any person’ for injuries ‘arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle.’”

It went on to say that “an injured person’s status as an occupant of a vehicle is irrelevant because the statute includes the words ‘any person,’ and given that Christopher was covered under his father’s policy he is ‘insured thereunder’” and is entitled to uninsured motor vehicle coverage.

Attorneys for Direct Auto could not immediately be reached for comment.

Metaj said although Christopher has now recovered from the injuries he suffered in the collision, he still has outstanding medical bills.

“He was very appreciative and very thankful” when he was told about the court’s ruling, Metaj said. “This is a big win for all residents of the state.”

Vigil held for detainees who died at Cook County Jail in 2023

2023-11-29T21:37:20.566-06:00

Sixteen people who died while in custody at Cook County Jail this year were remembered Wednesday evening in a vigil outside the lockup. “The best way to stop the loss of life at the Cook County Jail is to increase access to medical services and to decrease the number of people in this jail,” said Pastor Elle Dowd of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Religious leaders and community members held a vigil Wednesday to remember the 16 people who died this year while in custody at Cook County Jail.

About two dozen people gathered outside the jail near 26th Street and California Avenue for the vigil, which was organized by the Coalition to End Money Bond. Attendees lit candles and read aloud the names of those who have died.

Vickki Willis, whose son, Alteriq Pleasant, died after suffering a medical emergency while being held at the jail last year, said her son was her best friend and she still misses him every day.

“I talked to my son 10 times a day, even when he was behind bars he still found somebody to call his mother,” Willis said. “My life has been destroyed. It took me a year to not be mad with God.”

Vickki Willis, mother of Alteriq Pleasant, weeps as she discusses her son, who died from complications of opioid toxicity while in custody at Cook County Jail. “My life has been destroyed. It took me a year to not be mad with God.”

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

An autopsy determined that Pleasant, 27, died of complications of probable opioid toxicity, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled an accident.

“I haven’t slept well in a year,” Willis said, as she sobbed and turned away from the crowd.

In a statement, the Cook County sheriff’s office said that of the 16 deaths in custody at the jail in 2023, five were overdoses and four were due to natural causes.

“The sheriff’s office, in partnership with Cook County Health and leading research organizations, has worked tirelessly to combat the influx of opioids, synthetic cannabinoids and other dangerous chemicals into the Jail,” the sheriff’s office said. “These substances pose a deadly threat to jails and prisons throughout the country.”

The sheriff’s office added that it has taken steps, such as an education campaign and increased screening and intelligence efforts, to stop overdoses at the jail. Jailers have also restricted some paper products moving into the lockup. The sheriff’s office has said paper can be soaked in illicit substances.

Two of the deaths at the jail in 2023 were homicides, and five are pending autopsy reports. There were no signs of foul play for the five remaining deaths, the sheriff’s office said.

Cassandra Greer-Lee, left, comforts Vickki Willis, mother of Alteriq Pleasant, who died in Cook County Jail in 2022. Greer-Lee’s husband, Nickolas Lee, died of COVID-19 while incarcerated in 2020.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

A total of 178 people died in the jail from 1995 to 2004, an average of about 18 deaths per year, according to a study in the Journal of Urban Health.

From 2017 to 2021, there were a total of 57 deaths in custody, an average of about 12 per year, according to a report.

Those at the vigil demanded better conditions for detainees at Cook County Jail to help eliminate deaths, suggesting that reducing the number of inmates and increasing resources at the jail could help.

“We know how to stop the loss of life in Cook County Jail,” said Pastor Elle Dowd of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, “The best way to stop the loss of life at the Cook County Jail is to increase access to medical services and to decrease the number of people in this jail.”

Cassandra Greer-Lee, whose husband, Nickolas Lee, died in 2020 after contracting COVID-19 while detained, said the community needs to work together to change the stigma around incarceration.

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“So many people don’t value inmate lives, they dehumanize them, but each person back there is a human being,” Greer-Lee said, pointing to the jail. “They have loved ones like us that miss them and need them and suffer without them daily.”