Man charged in killing woman near Lawrence and Central avenues in Jefferson Park

by BRIAN NADIG and CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI

A 27-year-old man was charged with murder Wednesday, Jan. 26, in connection with the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old woman on Dec. 5 of last year outside an unlicensed social club near Central and Lawrence avenues in Jefferson Park, according to the Chicago Police Department Office of News Affairs.

The CPD Area 5 Homicide Investigations Support Team took the man into custody today without incident at a residence on North Saint Louis Avenue where he reportedly lives, according to police.

The suspect was identified by police as Rusten Reece Relucio, age 27, of the 5100 block of North Saint Louis Avenue.

The suspect was charged with the first-degree murder of Meagan M. Bilbo, age 19, who was shot in the chest as she was leaving the club at about 4:35 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, in the 4800 block of North Central Avenue, police said. The city later shut down the club.

Two men also were shot outside the club on Dec. 5 but survived their injuries, according to police. Relucio also faces two counts of aggravated battery/use of deadly weapon in connection with the shootings, police said.

In the Dec. 5 incident, officers reported that the woman was unresponsive as they attempted to provide her aid and that she died in the parking lot outside the building, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.

A 22-year-old man reported that he and the woman were leaving through a rear entrance of the building when he heard gunshots and saw that he had been shot and self-transported himself to Community First Hospital, police said. He suffered gunshot wounds to his leg and stomach and was later transferred in critical condition to Illinois Masonic Hospital, police said.

Another man reported that he was shot while using the bathroom near the rear entrance of the building and that he took himself to Swedish Covenant Hospital, police said. The 23-year-old man, who suffered gunshot wounds to both legs and stomach, was later transferred to Evanston Hospital, police said.

Alderman James Gardiner (45^th) posted the news on his Facebook page, crediting detectives for their work.

Gardiner said in December that the city Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and police have told him that the unlicensed business has been shut down and would remain closed pending further investigation. For weeks last year the storefront, whose previous occupant was a computer store, has had plastic inside its windows so that no one can see inside.

In the Dec. 5 incident, witnesses told officers that parties has been held inside the storefront, police said.

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