Suspect in shooting that killed Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso released from hospital to jail
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The teenage suspect charged with the murder of Chicago Police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso has been moved out of the hospital and into the Cook County Jail.
Steven Montano, 18, is due in Cook County Criminal Court on Wednesday.
Prosecutors alleged that on March 1, Montano and a 37-year-old woman with whom he was in a dating relationship and living with in the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue in the Gage Park neighborhood, began arguing. During the argument, Montano allegedly "charged with his hands outstretched at his girlfriend who stepped out of the way to avoid being struck," prosecutors said.
Montano then threatened to get his gun. His girlfriend exited the home through a side door on 53rd Street, called 911 and reported that Montano had a gun. As she spoke to a dispatcher, Montano followed her. He also allegedly grabbed the phone from his girlfriend's hand, hung up on 911 and threw the phone. They continued to argue and went back inside the home.
The woman told CBS 2 she maintains she did not call 911, nor was she threatened.
It was shortly after that Chicago police arrived. Two officers approached the front door of the residence and "heard noise" in the gangway.
Prosecutors said Montano jumped out of a window of the residence, into the gangway and fled back towards the alley. An officer saw an object in Montano's hands, believing it was a gun.
Montano encountered two neighbors in the alley and asked them if he could hide the gun in the garage the neighbors were standing in. When the neighbors indicated he couldn't, Montano entered the garage they were in and fled into a backyard of a connected residence. As he made his way through other neighboring yards, the first two officers made their way into the alley, saw Montano and alerted other officers to his location.
As Montano continued to flee north along Spaulding Avenue past Sawyer Elementary school, Vásquez Lasso responded to the scene and saw the suspect. Vásquez Lasso got out of his squad car, chased Montano through a gate and entered the school yard area of the Sawyer Elementary.
Vásquez Lasso ordered Montano to stop multiple times, prosecutors said. At one point, Montano looked back over his shoulder at the officer. He turned toward Vásquez Lasso while racking the slide on his pistol and pointed the gun at him.
Both Vásquez Lasso and Montano fired at each other. Montano fired five times and Vásquez Lasso was hit three times in the head, arm, and leg. Vásquez Lasso fired twice, hitting Montano in the mouth. Prosecutors did not specify who shot first.
At the time of the shooting, there were people, including multiple children, on the playground who took cover under a slide.
Montano is due for a court appearance on Wednesday.