Man charged with murder in Northwest Side shootingMatthew Hendricksonon March 4, 2021 at 11:31 pm

Julio Rubio-Gonzalez, 19, was ordered held without bail Thursday for Carlos Cruz’s murder in December.

A 19-year-old man is facing murder charges in a fatal shooting in the Mayfair neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

Shortly before 1 p.m. on Dec. 17, Carlos Cruz called his brother because he was worried about a white Nissan Maxima that was following him, in the 4000 block of West Wilson Avenue, Cook County prosecutors said Thursday.

Cruz’s brother then came out of his nearby house and allegedly saw Julio Rubio-Gonzalez get out of the Maxima’s rear passenger door and fire at Cruz, striking him multiple times.

Cruz’s brother hid behind a garbage can about 15 feet away and watched until Rubio-Gonzalez got back in the car and drove away, prosecutors said.

Cruz, 19, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, but later died.

Chicago police

The Maxima crashed shortly after the shooting and a description of the car and shooter were broadcast to Chicago police officers, who found Rubio-Gonzalez carry a bag in an alley off the 5000 block of West Montrose Avenue, prosecutors said.

The officer told Rubio-Gonzalez to show his hands, but he ran off, leaving the bag, which contained the murder weapon and a key for the Maxima, which had been stolen in an earlier carjacking, prosecutors said.

Fingerprints taken from the gun matched Rubio-Gonzalez’s, prosecutors said. Additional fingerprints taken from inside the Maxima are still being tested.

Cruz’s brother told investigators he recognized Rubio-Gonzalez from the neighborhood.

Rubio-Gonzalez surrendered himself to police when he learned he was wanted in connection with the shooting, his lawyer told Judge Susana Ortiz Thursday.

Rubio-Gonzalez most recently was working with his mother cleaning office buildings, the defense attorney added.

Ortiz ordered Rubio-Gonzalez held without bail.

He is expected back in court on March 23.

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