Chicago police say that a teen has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega in the Little Village neighborhood on Saturday.
After announcing that the department had “very strong leads,” Chicago Police Supt. David Brown announced Wednesday that the teen and the getaway driver had both been taken into custody.
The teen was identified by police as the individual who pulled the trigger during the shooting. He then fled the scene and got back into a vehicle, which sped away, but not before being seen by license-plate readers and surveillance footage. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced that the teen suspect will be tried as an adult in the case. He faces felony counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, along with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Xavier Guzman, 27, is charged with murder and attempted first-degree murder, and is accused of serving as the getaway driver in the shooting. Guzman was taken into custody Monday after investigators pulled over the vehicle that they believed was used in the shooting. That vehicle was identified through license plate readers, pod cameras and private surveillance cameras, according to Brown.“Melissa was a precious little girl,” Brown said. “And it is unacceptable that she is the latest Chicagoan to fall victim to senseless gun violence in this city.
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