Latin King seeking deal on one murder admits to another, prosecutors say

A man facing a murder charge in connection with a Brighton Park shooting has allegedly admitted to his role in another murder, apparently expecting to get a plea deal for his cooperation as a witness.

Instead, Cook County prosecutors say, they decided to charge 35-year-old Sergio Gonzalez with that murder as well, due to his admission that he played an active role in carrying it out, including dragging the victim into a vehicle.

Gonzalez had a bail hearing Friday on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Miguel Segura, shot multiple times nearly nine years ago behind Little Village Academy, 2620 S. Lawndale Ave., prosecutors said at the hearing.

Gonzalez had been charged in 2016 in a fatal drive-by shooting. Then, prosecutors said, he approached authorities last August, saying he had been a witness to another killing; he then admitted to his role in Segura’s murder.

Much of the information about the shooting that prosecutors presented at his bail hearing Friday came directly from his account of what occurred, prosecutors said. Detectives have since been able to corroborate portions of his statement.

Prosecutors said Gonzalez and another man, nicknamed “Ghost,” were at a “Latin Kings party” on May 31, 2010 when they decided to go looking for members of the Two Six street gang to attack.

After driving to the rival gang’s territory, Gonzalez spotted Segura, 20. Gonzalez recognized him from school and knew he had been a Latin King before switching to the Two Sixers, prosecutors said. Gonzalez threw up a Two Six hand sign and received a similar hand sign in response from Segura.

Ghost stopped the minivan he was driving and Gonzalez got out and told Segura that he and Ghost were Two Sixers looking for Latin Kings to shoot and told Segura to get into the van. When Segura refused, Gonzalez forced him inside, prosecutors said. They then drove back to Latin Kings’ territory and pulled into an alley by Little Village Academy, where Segura was taken out of the van and shot to death by Ghost, according to prosecutors.

Officers responding to a call of shots fired found Segura’s body in the alley.

The 2016 murder charge against Gonzalez stemmed from the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy in the 3100 block of West 41st Place. Also charged with first-degree murder was 20-year-old Jose Juarez. The case is still pending against Gonzalez, who has pleaded not guilty, according to court records.

Gonzalez is being held on $1 million bail in that case.

On Wednesday, Gonzalez was charged in Segura’s death after being shown a picture of Segura and identifying him as the man that he and Ghost killed.

Judge Sophia Atcherson ordered Gonzalez held without bail on the new charges; Gonzalez is due back in court May 23.