Man charged in fatal shooting at Humboldt Park restaurant was aiming for ex-girlfriend, prosecutors say

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The man accused of killing a 50-year-old man at a Humboldt Park restaurant over the weekend was aiming at his ex-girlfriend, who he'd been stalking for weeks after she broke up with him this summer, prosecutors said Monday.

Charlie Moreno, 41, is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the shooting Friday night at Curramba Restaurant, at 2701 W. Division St.

At Moreno's bond hearing on Monday, Cook County prosecutors said Moreno had been dating a 27-year-old woman for eight months, and was physically abusive to his girlfriend on a daily basis, prompting her to file at least to separate domestic violence reports, before breaking up with him in June/

About a month ago, that woman took a job bartending at Curramba, and Moreno began stalking her, regularly driving to the restaurant and waiting outside, according to prosecutors. A few days before the shooting, he texted the woman and threatened to shoot and kill her at work.

On Aug. 23, the woman was riding in the back seat of her friend's car while they were headed to work, when Moreno fired several shots at the car, prosecutors said. No one was injured, but the car was damaged by bullets, and police were investigating that incident at the time of the shooting at the restaurant.

Three days later, while Moreno's ex-girlfriend was working at Curramba, she stepped outside to have a cigarette, when she saw Moreno in his car, driving toward her on Division Street, holding a gun through the window, according to prosecutgors. As Moreno started shooting, his ex-girlfriend ran for cover inside.

One of the shots hit 50-year-old Felipe Ruiz, who was sitting at the bar inside the restaurant. A 40-year-old woman who was also inside suffered a graze wound to the finger. Ruiz was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Moreno's ex-girlfriend was not wounded, and was able to give police Moreno's license plate number.

About half an hour after the shooting, police found his car about 12 blocks away, in the 3000 block of West Augusta Boulevard, where it had been involved in a crash. A Chicago police lieutenant spotted Moreno trying to flee the scene, and throwing his gun towards the back of his car.

Moreno was arrested within seconds, and police recovered the gun from the scene, along with two spent bullet casings. His ex-girlfriend later identified him in a lineup.

Moreno was ordered held without bond at his first court appearance on Monday. He is due back in court on Sept. 16.