Sept. 20--A 32-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were both ordered held on bail after prosecutors said the boy shot two women early Friday as they left a Logan Square restaurant and were caught in a gang-related incident.
Arturo Ramirez, 32, and Glen Ruiz, 15, are charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated fleeing and eluding after shooting the two women near La Luna Restaurant, 1601 N. Hamlin Ave., then driving away from police, said Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Danny Hanichak.
Ruiz, a gang member, was angry because earlier members of the rival gang had poked fun at him, chased him and recorded him on a cellphone, prosecutors said.
Around midnight, Ramirez and Ruiz drove to the area near the restaurant, looking for Ramirez's brother, who was armed with a fully loaded Taurus .357 Magnum revolver, prosecutors said. Ruiz then saw the rival gang members who had teased him earlier. He got out of the car, went up to them with the gun and fired several shots, prosecutors said.
About 12:16 a.m. Friday, the two women, ages 46 and 36, were leaving the restaurant with a friend and came upon the conflict between the two groups of gang members.
Ruiz missed the members of the other gang and instead shot the two women, prosecutors said. The 46-year-old woman was shot in the stomach and suffered a through-and-through wound, prosecutors said. The 36-year-old woman was also shot in the stomach and suffered a graze wound. Both women were taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said Friday.
Ruiz then ran back to the car Ramirez was waiting in and the two drove off, authorities said. Nearby officers heard the shots and saw the vehicle driving quickly away from the scene. Police then activated their lights and sirens to pull over the car, but Ramirez wouldn't stop, prosecutors said.
Ramirez drove farther away before crashing into a parked car in the 1900 block of North Keystone Avenue, where both he and Ruiz were then arrested, prosecutors said. Ramirez and Ruiz also both made statements to police after being read their Miranda rights, prosecutors said.
Ramirez was already on bond for a pending possession of a controlled substance charge, and has a 1998 attempted murder conviction, for which he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Ruiz has a juvenile adjudication of delinquency for armed robbery and intimidation, for which he was sentenced to five years probation in June, prosecutors said.
In bond court Saturday, Judge Laura Sullivan ordered Ramirez, of the 1500 block of North Springfield Avenue, and Ruiz, of 3500 West McLean Avenue, held on $500,000 bail. Their next court date is Monday.
meltagouri@tribpub.com
