Pair charged with beating man to death while he was hanging Christmas lights in December, during string of 14 violent robberies
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two men have been charged in the brutal beating death of a father of three while he was hanging Christmas lights at his home in Gage Park in December, as part of a violent string of robberies stretching from the North Side to the South Side.
Police Supt. David Brown said the murder of 49-year-old Jose Tellez was one of a string of 14 robberies committed by Moises Barrios and Pedro Mendiola on Dec. 11, 2021.
Tellez was hanging Christmas lights outside of his home on the 3500 block of West 58th Street around 6:30 p.m. that day when Barrios and Mendiola pulled up and attacked him.
Brown said Barrios and Mendiola repeatedly hit Tellez in the head and face with a baseball bat and crowbar as his daughter watched from inside their house.
Tellez's daughter tried to get her brother to help their father, but by then, the two men had already killed him and fled the scene.
"There are no words, really, for this senseless and heinous act of violence, and there are no words that can lessen the pain and trauma Mr. Tellez's daughter and family have endured. When one life is claimed by such senseless violence, that's one life too many," Brown said. "This is a horrendous crime, and we stand here united to say that we will not allow such atrocities to happen in Gage Park, or in any community here in this great city."
Police and prosecutors said the attack on Tellez was one of a string of 14 robberies stretching from the North Side to the South Side over a span of more than four hours that day, during which the pair robbed and beat several victims with a baseball bat and a crowbar.
"They wreaked havoc, committing multiple robberies, and attacking multiple people during this timeframe," Brown said.
"It's not just the murder of Mr. Tellez. There were 14 victims involved in this spree. One man dead, brutally murdered in front of his daughter. A community terrorized," Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said.
Barrios and Mendiola both face more than 20 felony charges.
Mendiola, 21, is charged with one count of first-degree murder, 12 counts of armed robbery, nine counts of aggravated battery, four counts of criminal damage to property, one count of attempted armed robbery, one count of burglary, and one count of aggravated unlawful restraint.
Barrios, 23, is charged with one count of first-degree murder, 10 counts of armed robbery, nine counts of aggravated battery, four counts of criminal damage to property, and one count of burglary.
Both are set to appear for bond hearings on Friday.
[caption id="attachment_1165663" align="alignnone" width="300"] Moises Barrios (left) and Pedro Mendiola (right) are charged in the beating death of 49-year-old Jose Tellez, during a string of 14 armed robberies on Dec. 11, 2021. (Source: Chicago Police)[/caption]
Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said Barrios was arrested on the day of the attacks, and charged with one of the robberies, and has remained in custody as police gathered evidence to link him and Mendiola to the rest of the attacks.
Detectives were able to conduct a search warrant on Barrios' vehicle and recovered the bat and crowbar used in the attacks, leading to fingerprint and DNA evidence linking him and Mendiola to the robberies and Tellez's murder.
Deenihan said "it took a long time to put everything together" in the case, because of the sheer number of attacks. While detectives were able to gather video from multiple locations involved in the crime spree, Deenihan said the video evidence in Tellez's murder was the weakest footage in the case.
By tracking the car Barrios and Mendiola were driving, and using the DNA and fingerprint evidence, Deenihan said detectives ultimately were able to link all the crimes together.
According to prosecutors, in addition to the attack that killed Tellez, the 14 robberies included:
3:52pm
The victim was walking on Laramie Avenue, when Barrios and Mendiola pulled up, got out, and demanded the victim's property. The victim ran off and hid, and the two fled the scene in a red Dodge. The victim later identified Barrios as one of the robbers.
3:57pm
The victim was walking near Eddy & Lockwood and saw Barrios and Mendiola approached and demand money. When the victim refused, one of them hit the victim with the bat, and then took the victim's ID and credit cards before fleeing the scene. The victim's property was later recovered from Barrios when he was arrested, and the victim identified Barrios and Mendiola as the robbers.
4:03pm
Barrios and Mendiola approached a postal worker who had just delivered a package, announced a robbery, and swung a weapon, hitting the victim in the shoulder. They then went up to the victim's postal vehicle, and broke the window with a bat, stealing the victim's phone, mail, and sweater. The victim's phone was later recovered from Barrios' vehicle.
4:15pm
Barrios and Mendiola approached a victim near Lockwood & Berenice and announced a robbery. When the victim tried to run away, they hit the victim in the head with a bat, then punched and kicked him while he was on the ground. They stole his phone, shoes, and money.
4:19pm
On the 5300 block of West Warwick Avenue, Barrios and Mendiola approached a victim and demanded their property. Barrios punched the victim and Mendiola hit the victim with a bat. They then stole the victim's wallet and fled the scene. The victim's credit card later was recovered from Barrios when he was arrested.
5:23pm
Two people were walking to a parking lot on the 3800 block of West 26th Street when Barrios and Mendiola got out of their vehicle, and demanded the victims' money. One of the victims handed over $200, and Mendiola hit him with a bat. Barrios demanded money from the second victim, who complied before the robbers fled the scene.
630pm
A victim heard noise outside of their home and saw Barrios and Mendiola breaking into their vehicle with a crowbar before fleeing in their own vehicle. The victim and a neighbor who witnessed the incident later found Barrios and Mendiola in their car, with a baseball bat sticking up from the center console, and a crowbar inside the vehicle. When the victim approached the car and started yelling at them, Mendiola and Barrios fled the scene.
6:49pm
Someone saw Barrios and Mendiola following a woman in the 3800 block of West 56th Street in a red sedan. The woman safely entered a building, and Barrios and Mendiola noticed the witness watching them, announced a robbery, and hit the victim with a bat. The victim's stolen belongings were later recovered from Barrios' vehicle.
7:08pm
A victim was walking on the 5800 block of South Kolmar Avenue, when Barrios and Mendiola drove past, made a U-turn, and began hitting him with a bat and crowbar. They stole the victim's backpack and phone and fled the scene. The victim's ID, debit card, and credit card later were recovered from Barrios when he was arrested.
Unknown time
Barrios and Mendiola were double-parked in the 6500 block of South Albany Avenue, forcing another person to double park, before walking up to a house on the block. That's when Barrios and Mendiola approached the victim and demanded their belongings, asking "Do you want to die?" One of the robbers reached into his pocket, indicating he had a gun, and then a horn honked breaking their attention. The victim hit one of the robbers in the face, and the robbers then began to beat the victim. A witness pulled the robbers off the victim, and Mendiola and Barrios fled the scene as the victim and witness took their picture.
7:45pm
A man was in his car with his wife and 4-year-old son when he heard the car window break, and saw Barrios and Mendiola beside the vehicle. They tried to open the victim's car doors, and demanded their belongings, and the man handed over his paycheck and cash before driving off.
7:50pm
A victim was getting out of their car in the 3400 block of West 54th Street when Barrios and Mendiola approached and demanded their phone and money. After the victim handed over their belongings, the robbers fled the scene.
Prosecutors said police later determined the car Barrios and Mendiola were driving belonged to Barrios' mother.
CBS 2's Meredith Barack spoke with the son of the victim who said his murder left a gaping hole in the family.
"It's been rough. My dad was a very big part of our lives. Not just mine, but my brothers and my sisters, my mom," said David Tellez.
He says when he got word that the two men who killed his father were caught, he was overcome with a mix of emotions.
"Sad, anger, happiness. Every emotion you could think of just hit me during that phone call. I was happy that they finally caught em, I was sad because I'm still missing him you know."
CBS 2 has learned both men have lengthy criminal histories.
Barrios dates back to 2016 and includes burglary, domestic battery, and possession of a weapon.
Mendiola has been arrested multiple times for battery since 2019, as well as retail theft, and possession of a weapon.
Both men now face murder charges for the death of Tellez and more than 20 felony charges for the robberies.
