Man Arrested In Fatal Shooting Of Couple At Puerto Rican Pride Parade In Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police Saturday announced an arrest has been made in the fatal shooting of a couple during a Puerto Rican Pride celebration in Humboldt Park last month.
Nearly a month after the brutal Puerto Rican Day Parade attack that left two Chicago parents dead, and their children orphaned, Chicago Police announce the arrest of 34-year-old Anthony Lorenzi.
Lorenzi was arrested in a San Diego parking lot on Friday. He is charged with one count of first-degree murder, and is facing extradition to Illinois for the shooting death of Gyovanni Arzuaga, 24.
Arzuaga and his girlfriend, Yasmin Perez, 25, were killed on June 19 on Division Street near Spaulding Avenue during a post-Puerto Rican People's Parade celebration.
Arzuaga was shot at point blank range and was pronounced dead soon afterward at AMITA Health Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center.
Perez died three days later at Stroger Hospital.
CBS 2's Marissa Parra reports police provided a lot of new details on the case on Saturday, revealing it's likely Arzuaga accidentally shot and killed Perez as they were beaten and pulled from their car.
Police said Lorenzi is the one who was seen on camera pulling the trigger in the execution-style shooting that killed Arzuaga.
However, police also revealed the tragic detail that the bullet that killed Perez might have come from Arzuaga, citing saying evidence linking the bullet that hit her neck to a gun recovered from the scene, which was originally inside the vehicle they were in
CPD Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said Arzuaga "more than likely accidentally discharged his weapon" in the frenzy as they were beaten and pulled from the car, moments before Arzuaga was shot himself. However, Deenihan noted that has not been officially determined. Police do not believe the other two people in the vehicle at the time fired that shot.
Through videos, tips and technology, police were able to track down Lorenzi, who they said fled from Chicago to San Diego the day after the shooting.
Chicago police called it a team effort with the U.S. Marshals Service. Lorenzi was arrested Friday evening in a parking lot outside a San Diego apartment.
Police said his arrest might not be the last, and that they're searching for the other people seen in that graphic surveillance video.
"That collaboration is the message to criminals as well: we will go to great lengths to bring you to justice for these victims and their families," Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said.
As for the motive, police said they have no evidence the attack was a hate crime based on race. Asked about the possibility of a gang connection, police didn't really answer, saying they haven't had a chance to interview Lorenzi, and they don't have a confirmed motive at this time.
Police said Lorenzi has a criminal record that includes 26 adult arrests, and seven felony convictions, including burglary and aggravated fleeing.
His first court appearance was on Saturday, but it's still unclear when his extradition will take place.
A close friend of Arzuaga said his friends are "happy" that some "justice is being served."
