Three illegal Venezuelan migrant teenagers have been charged in connection with the brutal fatal stabbing and robbery of a 49-year-old homeless man in Chicago, according to police reports. The shocking early morning attack, which unfolded in front of the victim's cat, has sent ripples through the local community.
A Fatal Ambush in The Loop
The incident occurred around 5:45am on Sunday in the Loop area of Chicago. The victim, Bradley Obeirne, 49, was reportedly ambushed outside the Exchequer restaurant. Prosecutors state that the teenagers—identified as Wuinayker Rodriguez-Vasquez, 16, and two unnamed 14-year-olds—allegedly saw Obeirne with a Best Buy shopping cart containing his belongings, including his cat and a skeleton mask.
Assistant State’s Attorney Todd Kleist detailed that surveillance video captured the moment one of the 14-year-old boys struck Obeirne with a metal rod. The other 14-year-old then ran up and stole the homeless man's skeleton mask. While other members of the group fled, Rodriguez-Vasquez allegedly turned back, kicked Obeirne, and initiated a physical fight on the street.
The Stabbing and Aftermath
During the altercation, prosecutors allege that Rodriguez-Vasquez pulled a knife from his sleeve and stabbed Obeirne in the back, leaving him bloodied on the sidewalk. Obeirne lay in the street for some time before a passerby discovered him in an alcove, surrounded by blood, and called 911.
Officers who responded to the scene found a bike used by one of the attackers. The victim's cat was safely turned over to Chicago Animal Care and Control. In a disturbing twist, investigators later allegedly found a video showing Rodriguez-Vasquez displaying the knife on a train and making stabbing motions while wearing the stolen skeleton mask.
Arrests and Charges
The alleged culprits were arrested on Monday after surveillance cameras picked them up wearing the same clothes from the attack. They were taken into custody at the Western Pink Line station. Rodriguez-Vasquez was allegedly found with a knife still in his possession at the time of his arrest.
A judge denied the teenager bail at his first court appearance on Tuesday, stating the migrant poses a clear danger to the community. 'This was completely senseless. There was no reason for you to do what you did,' the judge told him, per ABC7.
Rodriguez-Vasquez is facing first-degree murder charges and will be tried as an adult. The two 14-year-olds are set to face juvenile court; one is charged with robbery for allegedly stealing the mask, and the other is charged with first-degree murder. An adult, Samuel Alvarado Moreno, 23, who was allegedly part of their group, is charged with a felony count of criminal damage to property.
Officials confirmed the teens did not know Obeirne. According to public records, the victim had his own brush with the law, having been sentenced to 34 months in prison in 2012 for theft over $300, with an early release in April 2014.
The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that Rodriguez-Vasquez, a Venezuelan national, is believed to have crossed into the US in September 2023 in Texas and was documented as an 'alien inadmissibility' case, meaning he was deemed not allowed to enter or remain in the United States.
