No bail for man accused of carrying out ‘sinister plan’ to kill witness in murder caseMadeline Kenneyon July 24, 2021 at 10:04 pm

A Cook County Judge Saturday called allegations that a man on parole carried out a “sinister plan” to kill a witness in an ongoing murder case “extremely chilling.”

Andres Giler, 20, faces a first-degree murder charge in the the Christmas day shooting of 20-year-old Sebastian Serrano, who was a witness in the state’s murder case against Antonio Reyes, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Mike Robinson said at Giler’s bond hearing.

Giler and the alleged gunman in Serrano’s killing — who has yet to be charged — initially asked a 13-year-old to do the shooting, but the teen refused, Robinson said.

About 9:20 p.m. on Dec. 25, 2020, Serrano was standing near the corner of 52nd street and Homan Avenue in Gage Park when Giler’s cohort opened fire, striking Serrano in the chest, back, arms and legs, Robinson said.

Investigators collected 11 shell casings from the scene, along with Serrano’s cell phone, which was linked to a Snapchat account.

Records from the social-media app showed Serrano was communicating with Giler at the time of the shooting, Robinson said.

Five days after the shooting, Giler sent a message on Snapchat to Reyes telling him Serrano was dead, Robinson said.

After his arrest Thursday, Giler told detectives in a video-recorded interview that he was talking to Serrano the night of his death and admitted to helping plan the shooting because Serrano was a witness in Reyes’ case, Robinson said.

Reyes is accused of fatally shooting a 26-year-old man in June last year, because he was upset that his girlfriend broke up with him, as well as wounding another man in a shooting on Thanksgiving, prosecutors said previously.

Giler is the father of an infant and had been working full-time as a prep cook and dishwasher before his arrest, an assistant public defender said.

“If this is true, it hits at the very foundation and at the core of the entire criminal justice system,” Judge John F. Lyke said in his decision to hold Giler without bail.

Giler was expected back in court July 27.

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