Chicago, IL: Bail denied for man accused of stealing rival’s car, running him over

A Southwest Side gang member nicknamed “Bear” stole a rival’s car, ran him over with it then “stomped” on his skull until he was dead, prosecutors alleged in court Sunday.

Lazaro Zapata, 24 — a member of the 2-6 street gang — stole Raul Medina’s 1994 Ford Escort, then murdered the 41-year-old in the 4000 block of South Kedzie in the early hours of Thursday, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Denise Loiterstein said. He tried to cover up the crime with a story about his girlfriend being kidnapped, it’s alleged.

Sentenced to 18 years behind bars for the 2nd degree murder of a 69-year-old corn vendor in 2004, Zapata had only recently been released from prison, records show.

Early Thursday morning, Medina and his ex-wife were driving Zapata’s girlfriend to her mother’s home when Zapata called and demanded she come home to him, Loiterstein said. When the girlfriend, who Zapata had beaten, refused, Zapata vowed to steal Medina’s ex-wife’s TV, Loiterstein said.

While Medina’s ex-wife called police to report the robbery threat, Zapata made a 911 call of his own, alleging his girlfriend had been kidnapped, Loiterstein said. Police quickly dismissed that allegation after speaking to the girlfriend on the phone, the prosecutor added.

But when Medina dropped off Zapata’s girlfriend at his ex-wife’s home, Zapata and several of his buddies were waiting, Loiterstein said.

After an argument in the street, Zapata and his buddies beat both women before Zapata jumped into the driver’s seat and ran down Medina, Loiterstein said.

Zapata then got out of the car and “started stomping the victim on his head,” she added. Medina died of massive blunt force trauma to the head and body, Loiterstein said.

This time Zapata and his girlfriend falsely reported to police that she had been kidnapped, it’s alleged.

Wearing turquoise slippers and a blue shirt in court Sunday, Zapata protested that his girlfriend was ready to bail him out after Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil denied him bond.

Records show he was just 17 when he killed corn vendor Antonio Rodriguez by hitting him in the head with a baseball bat in 2003.