Man charged in attack on CBS News Chicago crew due in court in unrelated case
One of the men charged with attacking a CBS News Chicago crew last week was due back in court Monday in an unrelated case.
Rafael Salinas, 29, is charged as one of the men who damaged our news crew's equipment and helped smash a news van's windshield near the Adler Planetarium last week.
Salinas had two active warrants against him in May, authorities said.
A court hearing set for Monday deals with charges in the southwest Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn. Court records said he is accused of fleeing police and running two stop signs.
In the attack on the CBS News Chicago crew and a subsequent crime spree, Salinas is charged along with two others.
Jon Twist, 37, identified in arrest reports as a known gang member, is charged with a hate crime and criminal damage to property in the incident. Both charges are felonies.
The hate crime charges accuse Twist of "shouting racial obscenities" at a CBS News Chicago photographer who is Black, threatening a reporter, and smashing the windshield of a news live truck with a cone last Monday afternoon.
At the time of the attack, the CBS News Chicago team was getting ready for a live report. The attackers suddenly jumped out of a white tow truck with a dog and then moved aggressively towards the crew.
Witnesses said the men tried siccing a German shepherd on CBS News Chicago's photojournalist while yelling racial slurs, but the dog did not obey the command.
Salinas, 29, is charged in the attack on our crew with a felony count of criminal damage to property, as well as aggravated battery to a peace officer. He is accused of damaging CBS News Chicago's team's camera, lights and tripod, and of helping Twist smash the windshield of the news van with a cone. The attackers caused thousands of dollars in damage.
Cook County prosecutors said a third man, William Huerta, 41, drove the men away from the Museum Campus in the tow truck and into Brighton Park.
The group was spotted pointing a gun from the tow truck at people in Richard J. Daley Park, at Western Avenue/Boulevard and the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal, prosecutors said.
Police gave chase, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Huerta tried to brake-check officers and even put the tow truck in reverse and drove toward officers at one point. After the police chase, the truck crashed and the defendants were all arrested.
All three defendants were ordered held until trial on Thursday of last week.