Police: July 2007 Archives

BY DAVE PARRO

The first of dozens of Aurora cold-case murder trials starts today, which will be fascinating to watch because of its potential implications for prosecuting the other 31 suspects rounded up earlier this summer.

Jose Salinas wasn't arrested in the huge sweep at the end of June, but rather was charged in March with the 2000 shooting of Luis Donatlan. The charges were the first to come out of the formation of the Cold Case Task Force, which is now responsible for arrests in 23 previously unsolved murders (and counting).

The outcome of the Salinas trial could predict how successful prosecutors will be in the other cases. It will also provide insight into how police went about piecing together evidence in killings dating back as far as two decades.

BY MIKE CETERA

If you're black or Hispanic, here's more proof you're more likely to be pulled over by the police than a white motorist.

The data, collected by the state for three years now, also shows that minority drivers are 13 percent more likely to be cited during a traffic stop than whites and 3 times more likely to be asked for consent to search their vehicles.

State Rep. Monique Davis said the study proves that racial profiling “is not a myth, that it actually does occur.”

BY MIKE CETERA

The gang problem is overblown. Communities aren't doing enough to support their children. Gang busts don't decrease crime.

These are three of the conclusions formed in a new report by a Washington think tank. Some cops dismiss the report by the Justice Policy Institute, claiming it was written by "thug-huggers."

BY MIKE CETERA

Local police departments generally are wary of getting involved in the messy business of illegal immigration even though legally they can. But one Illinois town has taken a stand, authorizing a partnership of sorts with the federal government.

Waukegan on Monday moved a step closer to giving its cops the explicit authority to conduct immigration violation investigations. Should Aurora be next?

BY MIKE CETERA

For the first time in years, someone has made a pro-death penalty argument that actually makes some sense. Is it enough to make me think the capital punishment system is fixable? Probably not. But Joe Birkett makes a good point nonetheless.

BY MIKE CETERA

Criminal background checks for employment might be helpful, but they're not foolproof, which is why it's dangerous to automatically jump on the bandwagon when it comes to the latest push to legislate checks.

A state lawmaker is sponsoring legislation that would require people who want to drive ice cream trucks submit to fingerprinting and a background check by the State Police.

The idea is not new, but it may have gained new momentum with the arrest of an Aurora vendor who is charged with exposing himself to a little boy.

BY MIKE CETERA

The Aurora Police union, or someone claiming to represent the union, has a new blog. Not sure if airing your dirty laundry in public is the best approach, but we'll see if this accomplishes anything.

What's clear from the tone of the Friends of APPO blog is that some police officers are not very happy.

BY DAVE PARRO

While Geneva and Batavia police claim they didn't give special treatment to a Kane County officer arrested for drunken driving, it's awfully suspicious that they played hot potato with the incident and then took four days to charge the former jail commander with DUI.

Sure, Todd Exline was ultimately charged. But would Joe Citizen have been able to walk out of the Geneva police station without being booked after failing sobriety tests? The circumstances at least warrant an investigation to make sure officers didn't give Exline the benefit of the doubt because he's one of the boys.

BY MIKE CETERA

It is a little bit James Bond, a little bit Big Brother.

But Aurora's plan to buy a gizmo to detect when gunshots are fired could just help police do their jobs -- and act as a deterrent.

The city says it has applied for a grant that could be used to buy equipment that can pinpoint the origin of a gunshot within seconds of it being fired.

HEATHER EIDSON / BEACON NEWS
The relatives of murder victims aren't the only ones whose families
have been ripped apart by gangs.

BY DAVE PARRO

It's easy to feel compassion for the relatives of murder victims who waited as many as 18 years for the alleged killers to be caught after their families were violently ripped apart by gangs. But something that might be overlooked or ignored is the fact that each of the 28 Latin Kings arrested last week in almost two dozen cold-case murders is also a husband, father, brother or son.

Some of them might have turned their lives around since committing the crime. Many are now married with children. Unfortunately for their families, murder rightfully doesn't have a statute of limitations. While gang members don't deserve any sympathy, the devastating ripple effect of their actions on family and friends -- and the community -- is undeniable.

Relatives on both sides of last week's arrests have been sharing their thoughts on the Beacon Blog. To see the previous posts on this story and the comments, go to the page devoted to this issue.

BY DAVE PARRO

Bail was set Monday for the 28 alleged Latin Kings arrested so far in 22 previously unsolved murders in and around Aurora dating back 18 years. The amounts range from $500,000 to $5 million, meaning most or all of the defendants will not be able to post the 10 percent bond required to get out of jail pending trial. Of course, a good number of them are already in prison and won't be going anywhere no matter what.

The youngest accused killer, 17-year-old Max Aguilar, got the lowest figure. Quentin Moore, who police say was involved in four of the murders, received the highest bail (actually $5 million + $1 million + $1 million for three separate incidents). Read the full list here.

Hopefully none of them end up back on the streets for a long, long time.

BY MIKE CETERA

UPDATE: A member of the FBI cold-case task force told me July 12 that Juan Corral is not in fact involved in the latest investigation.

It might take awhile for it all to come out, but sooner or later we'll learn just how the cops built their murder cases against 31 men. And you can bet that gang snitches played a big role, men like Juan Corral, a one-time major cocaine supplier in Aurora who became a prosecution witness after his 2002 arrest on federal drug trafficking charges.