Cicero Issues Curfew Amid Unrest, Implores Residents Not To Take Law Into Own Hands
CICERO, Ill. (CBS) -- Police in west suburban Cicero pleaded with residents Tuesday not to take the law into their own hands after a violent night that left two people dead.
CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey dug into the clash between looters and business owners.
After a day of looting, violence, and death, protesters gathered in front of the Cicero Police Department on Tuesday were finally having a dialogue with city leaders.
Amid unrest in Cicero on Monday, there were two daytime shootings just minutes apart.
One left a 29-year-old Jose Gutierrez dead. He is from Chicago.
A suspect has been arrested in the murder of Gutierrez. It happened at the 2100 block of 50th Street.
He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect in the killing of Gutierrez is Zion Haygood. Charges are pending. Two other suspects have been apprehended also but their information has not yet been released.
The other shooting killed a Cicero resident who was just standing outside this grocery store on 14th street. He was 27-year-old Victor Cazares. On Tuesday, the memorial for him outside the shop was growing.
On Tuesday afternoon, Cicero Town President Larry Dominick and members of the police department were confronted by a group of protestors outside the police station.
"Shooting, hitting people with bats - that's a different story," Cicero Town President said.
"That's not us," a protester replied.
Dominick was responding to allegations that the Cicero citizens had escalated the violence with looters by taking the law into their own hands.
"Those are criminals. If the protesters come, that's fine. But we do not allow criminals," Dominick said.
"The citizens were trying to protect their neighborhoods and the protestors," said Cicero police Supt. Jerry Chlada Jr. "There was a lot of clashes which resulted in a lot of fights."
Chlada said the fights and looting led 60 arrests by Cicero police. Three people were in custody Tuesday in connection with shootings.
Meanwhile Tuesday, business owners like Roberto Paniagua were nailing boards.
Paniagua's family owns two stores down the block from the fatal shooting scene on Cermak Road at 50th Avenue.
He was boarding up and shutting down.
"I think the worst thing that can come out of protests in this town is that we further divide; we start building greater racial divides between the black and brown communities here," Paniagua said. "So again, we're here to support folks who want to protest, but at the same time protecting ourselves from worst case scenarios."
The stores are also closing and retreating until they feel safe, following the order from Cicero Police.
"Again we are asking everybody in the town of Cicero to allow police to do their job," Chlada said.
Cicero has declared a state of emergency and will implement an 8 p.m. curfew tonight. It expires at 6 a.m.
Police said they did not know how long the curfew would last.