2 charged with murder in North Park shooting, robbery

Two men have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of another man last year during an alleged drug robbery in the North Park neighborhood.

Luis Cano-Padilla is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of pulling the trigger in the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting death of 21-year-old Jose Rico, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

A co-defendant, 20-year-old Hernan Cortes, was also charged in connection with the shooting in July, according to Chicago police and Cook County court records.

Cano-Padilla was ordered held without bail during a hearing Friday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse and Cortes was denied bail at a hearing July 4, court records showed.

Cano-Padilla is accused of shooting Rico in the head and chest and then going through Rico’s pockets as he lay dying shortly after midnight in the 5000 block of North Bernard, Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini said in court Friday.

Rico, of the Albany Park neighborhood, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Prior to the shooting, Cano-Padilla and Cortes had discussed robbing Rico after setting up a meeting to buy marijuana him, according to Santini. Both men were at the meeting when Rico was fatally shot and ran off with his property afterwards.

Detectives investigating the killing learned that Chicago police officers had stopped Cortes shortly after, Santini said. Cortes, of the Albany Park neighborhood, was taken into custody July 2.

According to Santini, Cortes told detectives about his and Cano-Padilla’s role in the shooting. Detectives then located additional witnesses who heard Cano-Padilla discussing the shooting. Cano-Padillo told at least one of the witnesses not to talk about what they knew, Santini said.

Cortes pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and armed robby during a Aug. 9 hearing at the courthouse, according to court records. Cano-Padilla was being held in custody on unrelated charges when he was charged with Rico’s killing.

Cortes was scheduled back in court Sept. 13 and Cano-Padilla’s next court date was scheduled for Sept. 19.