Cook County Crime Stoppers seek information in deadly beating of Alexander Kazanowski in Avondale last month

Cook County Crime Stoppers is now offering a $10,000 reward in connection with a violent assault that left a man dead in the Avondale neighborhood last month.

The Crime Stoppers canvased a busy part of Belmont Avenue on Saturday, close to where police found the victim's body last month. The area is filled with businesses and homes, but they hoped to get information on the four people being sought in connection with the crime.

Earlier this week, Chicago police released images and video of the four persons of interest entering the Tune-Up Bar on the 3800 block of West Belmont Avenue.

Paul Rutherford with Crime Stoppers was putting up photos of the three men and woman CPD says are connected to the crime.

"You know that old saying says, see something, say something? And in this case, we definitely need to know exactly what happened to Xander," he said.

Alexander "Zander" Kazanowski was found unresponsive around 3:30 a.m. on March 25 on Belmont near Harding Avenue.

"Apparently, there was some altercations or some words that were said within ... he decided to call it a night," Rutherford said.

The police said he was violently assaulted and died of blunt force trauma.

"Just having a beer and was going to go home, and never made it home," he said.

Now, his friends are raising money for his children.

"Twenty-five-year-old guy, father, got a newborn on the way, and here he's uh ... someone killed him … and we're trying to ask the community and the businesses if they saw anything, try to help the detectives solve the case."

Rutherford and his partner spent hours stopping people on the street.

"Maybe someone you know might know something," he said. "Just trying to prevent it from happening again."

Crimestoppers canvassed the area where he was killed on the same day as his memorial service.

"We understand that people don't want to talk to the police, they don't want to get involved in the legal process, but we give them an outlet by having a hotline number," Rutherford said.

Anyone with information on the individuals being sought in connection with Kazanowski's death or their whereabouts is asked to contact Grand Central Area detectives at 312-746-6614. Tipsters who wish to remain can submit information to CPDTIP.com, using reference number JK192078, or call the Cook County Crime Stoppers at 800-535-7867.