2 reputed gang members charged with murdering teen rival in Marquette Park

Two men were charged with the fatal shooting of a teenage boy Feb. 26, 2021, in Marquette Park. | Sun-Times file photo

Two reputed Latin Kings have been charged with shooting and killing a 16-year-old rival in Marquette Park last week.

Julian Castillo had been cutting the hair of a fellow Two-Six gang member in a lower-floor apartment Friday night when the man with the new do decided to go upstairs for a glass of water, Cook County prosecutors said.

Recognizing the man’s hairstyle as “Two-Six cut,” Sergio Rodriguez, 20, got angry and pulled out a black firearm with an extended magazine inside the building in the 6300 block of South Richmond Street, prosecutors said Monday.

Rodriguez chased the man downstairs to where Castillo was. There, Rodriguez asked Castillo about his gang affiliation, prosecutors said. When Castillo identified himself as a Two-Six, Rodriguez allegedly began punching the teenager in the face while yelling that “he hates Two-Six, and that a Two-Six killed his boy.”

Castillo was able to break away from Rodriguez and ran outside, prosecutors said. He made it about a block-and-a-half down the street before 21-year-old Jesus Moro emerged and fired multiple rounds at Castillo, striking the teenager several times, prosecutors said.

Jesus Moro

When the shots began to ring out, Rodriguez pushed the second Two-Six gang member back into the building. But Castillo’s friend was able to run to the back door where he saw Moro wearing a distinctive white hoodie and holding the gun Rodriguez had earlier, prosecutors said.

Someone asked Moro what he had just done and Moro just laughed, prosecutors said.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, ran outside and punched Castillo a few more times before leaving him, prosecutors said. Castillo’s friend then ran to him and stayed with him until police arrived.

Castillo was later taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead.

Rodriguez was arrested after officers found him hiding in the trunk of a parked Chevy Malibu, prosecutors said. Moro was arrested after he came out of the restroom in the second-floor apartment, prosecutors said.

Surveillance video Moro shooting Castillo while wearing a white sweatshirt, prosecutors said. ShotSpotter showed 17 rounds were fired at the time of the murder, but investigators only found 10 shell casings and two fired bullets at the scene, prosecutors said.

Sergio Rodriguez

Moro — who has a pending reckless discharge of a firearm case — and Rodriguez are convicted felons, prosecutors said.

Both men were ordered held without bail for Castillo’s murder.

They are expected to back in court Tuesday.