Police: their cell phones tie suspects to the area of the murder

by BRIAN NADIG

Two suspects who were on parole have been charged in connection with the May 10 murder and armed robbery of a 24-year-old Irving Woods man who was walking to a bus stop at 7 a.m. in the 3900 block of North Pittsburgh Avenue when a gunman shot him, according to Chicago police.

The victim was Zet Rodriguez, who was a father with another child on the way. Surveillance footage shows Rodriguez being shot and falling to the ground and then screaming as the gunman searches him.

One of the suspects, who was identified by police as Divonte Calhoun, age 32, of the 3500 block of Country Club Avenue, Gurnee, had been taken into custody shortly after the fatal shooting, but he was released without being charged, Area Five deputy chief of detectives Kevin Bruno said at a June 4 news conference. Bruno identified Calhoun as the alleged shooter.

A license plate number obtained during the initial investigation registered to one of Calhoun’s relatives, and he also was seen on surveillance footage at a Gurnee gas station wearing the same clothes he reportedly had on during the shooting, Bruno said.

The other suspect, who was identified by police as Justin Redmond, age 41, of the 3500 block of North Oriole Avenue, was the alleged driver of the getaway vehicle, Bruno said. Unlike Calhoun, Redmond was not taken into custody shortly after the murder, he said.

Cell phone data eventually provided “crucial” evidence in the case, as the suspects’ phones allegedly tied them to the area at the time of the shooting, Bruno said.

Both suspects were charged with a felony count of first-degree murder, a felony count of murder with other forcible felony, a felony count of armed robbery with a firearm and a count of issuance of a warrant, police said.

Calhoun was on parole for armed robbery and Redmond was on parole for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, Bruno said.

Calhoun was arrested in 2015 in connection with a reported robbery in the 3900 block of North Cicero Avenue in the Six Corners area, according to police.

“We are so grateful to our Chicago police for their work in apprehending these individuals,” Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th) said.

• 
  Police search for reported suspects after exchange of gunfire between group and security guard working at Jefferson Park CTA terminal
  A private security guard working at the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., reportedly returned fire after a group of three people started harassing him and then fired their guns toward him during an incident at about 5:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, according to Chicago police. Officers reported finding 23 shell casings and
• 
  Man stabbed on CTA Blue Line near Harlem Ave.; suspects arrested in connection with car break-in on Victoria; man steals from car at gas station in Forest Glen
  A man was stabbed in his hand at about 4:50 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, on a CTA Blue Line train near the Harlem station, 5550 N. Harlem Ave., after a man with a knife allegedly stole his belongings and attacked him, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police. The 31-year-old man reported that he was
• 
  45th Ward Dems endorse S Gronkiewicz-Doran for alderperson
  by BRIAN NADIG 45th Ward Democratic Committeeperson Michael Rabbitt and his Dems 45 organization have endorsed Jefferson Park resident S Gronkiewicz-Doran in the ward’s aldermanic race, which will be held on Feb. 23, 2027. Incumbent Alderman James Gardiner, who is on leave from his firefighting job while he serves on the City Council, is seeking
• 
  New business in the works for former CVS site at Milwaukee & Lawrence in Jefferson Park
  by BRIAN NADIG A new business, possibly a daycare, is in the works for the former CVS Pharmacy at the southeast corner of Milwaukee and Lawrence avenues. The pharmacy closed in January of 2020, but CVS reportedly continued to pay rent for several years after the store’s closing. The site includes an approximately 10,000-square-foot building
• 
  Gunfire reported at Jefferson Park CTA Terminal on Saturday morning
  by BRIAN NADIG A possible suspect is in custody after gunfire was reported at or near the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., at about 5:20 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, according to Chicago police. Officers recovered four shell casings, and detectives are reviewing area surveillance footage, according to police. It’s not clear at

This is just part of today’s coverage. Get the full story - every article, every ad, every page. Subscribe now.

The Latest From Our Community