Family in fear after boyfriend charged in shooting that killed Chicago woman gets released, can't be found
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Robert Pasco has been charged with a gun offense after his pregnant girlfriend was shot to death in their bed, and a judge let him go while he waits for trial.
The family of the victim of the shooting in the Portage Park neighborhood this month is now frustrated and fearful, since no one seems to know where Pasco is.
At 4:50 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, in a house in the 5800 block of West Newport Avenue, Edith Castrejon, 35, was shot to death in what police have classified as a domestic incident.
Her family has been grieving the loss ever since, and their questions on the investigation are mounting — as the man charged in connection to the case is nowhere to be found.
Castrejon, who was pregnant, was shot while in bed with Pasco — the father of her children.
According to court documents, Pasco claims that while he was asleep, Castrejon was the one who reached for his gun that was under his pillow. Castrejon then suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
Prosecutors said it happened when three of their children were in the room.
It is all a narrative that Castrejon's family does not believe.
Prosecutors wanted Pasco locked up and not released before his trial, according to a petition they filed. They wrote he had multiple prior convictions for weapons offenses, and said he poses a real threat to the community.
They cited the citing the 9mm ghost gun under Pasco's pillow — a firearm that he should not have had in the first place as a convicted felon.
But a judge denied the Cook County State's Attorney's office's petition to keep Pasco in custody. Court documents also show the judge released Pasco without any electronic monitoring, GPS, or other ways to track him.
Relatives of Castejon's said they were under the impression that Pasco, 42, was being electronically monitored. They were blindsided after they learned he was released with no such order.
Their frustration now directed at the judge who made that decision, which has led to sleepless nights at their home.
If convicted, Pasco faces life back in state prison. But a judge and an attorney said after his most recent court hearing at the Skokie Cook County Courthouse, he went home, packed a bag, and took off.
The judge and attorney confirmed this information and a court hearing Monday about the children Pasco and Castrejon shared.
The situation leaves this family in limbo. Castrejon's family wants justice — and answers.
The family says adding to their frustration is misinformation they got from detectives on the case. They showed an email from Chicago Police saying Pasco was being tracked by electronic monitoring — something CBS News Chicago investigated and found is not true.
Late Monday, the Cook County State's Attorney's office released this statement:
"Edith Castrejon should still be alive, and her children should still have their mom around. We are determined to bring justice in this case, which was both preventable and a direct result of a violent individual possessing an illegal gun. The State's Attorney's Office brought charges and sought pre-trial detention, which was not granted in this case. The CCSAO will continue seeking pre-trial detention for any offender accused of using an illegal gun (like a ghost gun) or using a weapon in the commission of a domestic-violence related offense."
