Man charged in alleged fatal beating of man at home near Belmont and Cumberland avenues
by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI
A man was charged with murder for allegedly fatally beating a man with a metal pipe at about 11:20 a.m. Friday, Sept. 2, at a home in the 3300 block of North Panama Avenue, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and police.
Several witnesses initially reported that the 46-year old man fell and hit his head inside of the home and responding officers discovered the man on the floor, bleeding from his ear, with his head wrapped in blankets, surrounded by two women, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police said.
When officers helped paramedics transport the man from the home, the paramedics reported that it appeared the injury was consistent with being hit in the head with a blunt object, police said.
The man later died from his injuries at the hospital and the incident was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The deceased man was identified by the medical examiner’s office as Marcos G. Castro, age 46, of the 3300 block of North Panama Avenue.
Following an investigation and witness testimony officers arrested a suspect on Sept. 3, police said.
The suspect was identified by police and the state’s attorney’s office as Lukasz K. Wiercioch, age 29, of River Grove.
According to a court proffer, Castro was upset regarding a romantic relationship with one of the residents of the home and Wiercioch was an acquaintance of one of the residents and he had an argument with him. The proffer said that several people in the home would consume drugs with one another.
A witness was with Castro in the basement with Wiercioch while others were upstairs when he allegedly heard a thud from behind a projector sheet and Castro fell on the floor and was seen being struck with a metal pole allegedly by Wiercioch, the proffer said.
Over the course of the investigation, several witnesses confirmed that Wiercioch had been in the house with them and one said that Wiercioch struck Castro with a pipe, according to documents.
Private security camera footage located by detectives showed Wiercioch and a witness outside in an alley after the incident, with Wiercioch wearing a blue shirt, white socks and no shoes.
The witness later told police the man had discarded the shirt and socks and showed officers where the items were, the proffer said.
Police recovered a metal pipe in the basement and a metal silver pipe in the garage and the items are being processed for fingerprints, court documents said.
Wiercioch was arrested on Sept. 3 and “made post-Miranda statements confirming he was in the home, had seen the victim on the floor and had left the house wearing socks,” the proffer said.
The man was held without bail and his next court date is Sept. 23.
