According to Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Public Health, the cause of death for Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, 5, remains under investigation, but it’s not connected to three other children who were hospitalized from the shelter Monday.
Stories by matt masterson
No Evidence of Outbreak at Pilsen Migrant Shelter After 5-Year-Old Boy Died of Medical Emergency, According to City
Cause of death still under investigation
Dec 19, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Michael Madigan Seeking to Delay Racketeering Trial as Supreme Court Hears Case on Federal Bribery Statute
Dec 19, 2023 | Matt Masterson
The defense teams for Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain are seeking to strike their upcoming trial date and delay all proceedings until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in a case that could rewrite the federal bribery statute.
Ex-Employee of Cook County Land Bank Authority Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Fraud Scheme
Dec 19, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Mustafaa Saleh, 37, was sentenced last week to a year and one day in prison after he pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of wire fraud.
5-Year-Old Boy Dead After Falling Ill at Chicago Migrant Shelter
Dec 18, 2023 | Matt Masterson
A Chicago police spokesperson said an investigation is underway, but it does not appear as though the boy’s death was criminal in nature.
Part-Time Columbia College Faculty Announce Tentative Deal to End Record-Long Work Stoppage
Dec 18, 2023 | Matt Masterson
College administrators and the Columbia College Faculty Union (CFAC) — which represents nearly 600 adjunct faculty members — jointly announced the tentative deal that would put an end to the record-long strike.
1 Person Killed by Gunfire, 17 More Injured in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police
Dec 18, 2023 | Matt Masterson
According to Chicago Police Department data, 18 total people were shot in 17 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
‘A Financial Tuna’: Closing Arguments Continue in Ed Burke’s Corruption Case, as Prosecutors Focus on Old Post Office Allegations
Burke’s defense calls the government’s case ‘a bunch of noise’
Dec 14, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Closing arguments continued Thursday in the high-profile corruption case of the longtime 14th Ward alderperson and Finance Committee chair, with prosecutors zeroing in on perhaps the most elaborate of four criminal schemes Burke is charged with.
‘ComEd Four’ Defense Asks for Delay While Supreme Court Hears Case That ‘Has the Potential to Upend This Case’
Dec 14, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Four former Commonwealth Edison officials convicted of conspiring to bribe Michael Madigan are seeking to delay their sentencing after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a separate case the defendants say “has the potential to upend” their own proceedings.
‘This Was His Racket’: Closing Arguments Underway in Former Ald. Ed Burke’s Corruption Trial
Dec 13, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Closing arguments began Wednesday, more than a month after proceedings began in Ed Burke’s landmark corruption case. Prosecutors painted the longtime 14th Ward alderperson as a “powerful and corrupt” politician who was motivated by greed to “get what he wanted for himself.”
Family of 3 Boys Allegedly Abused by CPS Gym Teacher Suing School District
Dec 12, 2023 | Matt Masterson
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three minor, unnamed victims, alleged that Federico Garcia Lorca Elementary School teacher Andrew Castro was able to continuously abuse the boys despite prior complaints of similar abuse.
Heads of Police Union, Oversight Agency Debate Who Should Decide the CPD’s Most Serious Disciplinary Cases
Dec 11, 2023 | Matt Masterson
The head of Chicago’s largest police union believes his officers in his union should have the right to go to arbitration over the most serious disciplinary decisions, but reform leaders believe doing so could “set us back decades.”
Alleged Highland Park Parade Gunman Will Represent Himself in February 2024 Trial
Dec 11, 2023 | Matt Masterson
In a surprise move Monday, Crimo III told the court he wishes to proceed pro se and will act as his own attorney. The 23-year-old also invoked his right to a speedy trial — pushing what had been expected to be a February 2025 trial date up to Feb. 26, 2024.
‘Highly Unusual’: Jurors Hear More Testimony About Alleged Burger King Shakedown in Ed Burke Trial
Dec 7, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Architect Warren Johnson took the witness stand Thursday afternoon, more than a month after trial proceedings got underway in former Ald. Ed Burke’s landmark corruption case.
Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Wounding ATF Agents in 2021 Shooting
Dec 6, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Eugene McLaurin, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting a federal officer and two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence, more than two years after he opened fire on an unmarked vehicle in Chicago’s Morgan Park.
CPS Board to Vote on Charter Renewal for Urban Prep Academies Despite Ongoing Litigation
Dec 6, 2023 | Matt Masterson
The Chicago Board of Education is expected to renew the campus agreement for Urban Prep charter schools located in Bronzeville and Englewood after a judge ruled that CPS violated its moratorium on school closures by attempting to take control of the schools.
‘I Felt a Little Weird’: Fast Food Official Testifies About Former Ald. Ed Burke Pitching His Property Tax Firm
Dec 5, 2023 | Matt Masterson
A restaurant group official said he was “taken aback” when Ald. Ed Burke brought up possible work for his property tax law firm as the pair discussed driveway permits for a Burger King undergoing a remodel in Burke’s 14th Ward in 2017.
Shootings, Homicides in Chicago in 2023 Continue Declines Over Last Year’s Totals
Dec 5, 2023 | Matt Masterson
New data from the Chicago Police Department on Tuesday shows that through the end of November, the number of homicides has dropped by 11% while shootings dropped nearly 13% compared to the same time in 2022.
Ed Burke’s Defense Team Calls First Witness, But Prosecutors Still Days Away From Resting Case in Corruption Trial
Dec 4, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Gabriella Garcia-Martinez, a firm administrator with Burke’s property tax practice, was allowed to testify Monday because she is set to undergo a medical procedure that would make her unavailable for the remainder of the trial.
Retired Chicago Firefighter Sentenced to Prison for Role in Jan. 6 Insurrection
Dec 1, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Joseph Pavlik, 66, was sentenced to two months in prison, six months of home confinement and 24 months of supervised release. He also must pay a $6,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution.
Appellate Court Upholds Jussie Smollett’s Disorderly Conduct Convictions, Sentence
Dec 1, 2023 | Matt Masterson
In a 2-1 decision published Friday, the First District court rejected the actor’s claims that he had faced double jeopardy when a special prosecutor filed renewed charges against him after Cook County prosecutors dropped their initial criminal case.
‘This Is an Anomaly’: Part-Time Columbia College Faculty’s Record-Long Work Stoppage Continues Into Second Month
Nov 30, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Following the Thanksgiving break, faculty members represented by the Columbia College Faculty Union (CFAC) have entered the fifth week of the ongoing strike.
Jurors Hear From Ed Burke in Secret Audio, Video Recorded By Fellow Ald. Danny Solis
Nov 28, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Evidence in Burke’s landmark corruption case moved into the third of four schemes the former 14th Ward alderman allegedly spearheaded, this one involving the massive Old Post Office building, which had been left vacant and run down for years before it was sold to 601 West Companies in 2016.
COVID-19 Slows Former Ald. Ed Burke’s Corruption Trial For Second Time as Testimony Around Burger King Allegations Continues
Nov 27, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Unlike last time when the landmark corruption case was put on hold for a week, proceedings continued briefly Monday before the parties broke until Tuesday.
‘I’d Also Like to Get Some of His Law Business’: Jurors Hear Evidence of Former Ald. Ed Burke’s Alleged Attempt to Extort Burger King Owners
Nov 22, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Jurors on Tuesday began hearing evidence of the second of four criminal schemes the longtime 14th Ward alderperson was allegedly involved in — this one involving remodeling work at a Burger King restaurant that was located in Burke’s district.
2 New Lawsuits Filed Following CTA Yellow Line Crash
Nov 22, 2023 | Matt Masterson
Attorneys from the Chicago-based Clifford Law Offices announced Wednesday they’ve filed two additional lawsuits against the CTA, which allege that the commuter train was operated negligently.
Pair of 14-Year-Old Boys Killed in Chatham Shooting Sunday: Police
Nov 20, 2023 | Matt Masterson
At least three teenagers were fatally shot over the weekend across Chicago, including a pair of 14-year-old boys killed in the Chatham neighborhood Sunday and a 16-year-old boy who died Saturday.