Man fired gun into West Town restaurant where ex-girlfriend worked, fatally striking a patron, prosecutors say

A man is accused of shooting into a West Town restaurant where his ex-girlfriend worked, fatally striking a patron sitting at the bar.

Charlie Moreno, 41, fired through the window of Curramba Colombian Restaurant Bar, 2701 W. Division St around 9:20 p.m. Friday, police said. He had once dated a woman, 27, who started working at the restaurant about a month ago.

During their eight-month relationship, Moreno was physically abusive to the woman “on a daily basis,” prosecutors said in court Monday. There were at least two police reports filed during the relationship, they said.

The relationship ended in June and Moreno began to stalk the woman at her new job at the restaurant, prosecutors said. He texted the woman that he was going to kill her and “shoot her at work,” they said.

Three days before the shooting, the woman was riding in the backseat of a car, on her way to the restaurant, when Moreno approached and fired a gun into the car, prosecutors said. No one was wounded.

The night of the fatal attack, the woman was working at the bar of the restaurant and stepped out to have a cigarette when she saw Moreno drive up and begin to fire, prosecutors said.

One of the shots entered the restaurant and struck a man, 50, who was taken to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

About 30 minutes later, Moreno’s car was involved in a traffic crash 12 blocks from the scene. Moreno attempted to flee but was eventually taken into custody.

Moreno was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, police said.

Moreno has a “significant” criminal background, according to prosecutors.

At the time of the Friday shooting, he was on parole for aggravated battery with a firearm, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In that case, Moreno shot a man twice in the chest and once in the face after trying to rob him, prosecutors said.

Moreno was convicted of the same charge in 2003 and sentenced to six years. In that case, he was arguing with a person using a pay phone, then shot the person in the leg and “callously walked away,” prosecutors said.

A judge Monday ordered Moreno to be held without bond.