Crime
Woman Fatally Shot in Apparent Case of Mistaken Identity in North Lawndale
CHICAGO, IL — A 33-year-old woman was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in what authorities believe may have been a case of mistaken identity, as she sat inside a vehicle with tinted windows in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.
According to the Chicago Police Department, the shooting occurred just after 2:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of South Ridgeway Avenue on the city’s West Side.
The victim was seated in a white sedan when she was approached by three individuals. One of them drew a firearm and opened fire, striking the woman multiple times in the face and torso.
Police said the victim attempted to flee by driving away, but the vehicle ultimately crashed into a curb near 18th Street.
She was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Her identity has not yet been publicly released, pending notification of next of kin.
Investigators believe the assailants may have mistaken her for someone else due to the car’s heavily tinted windows.
A large crime scene stretched from the 1600 block to the 1800 block of South Ridgeway, with officers placing at least 22 evidence markers at the site.
A gray two-flat home nearby became a point of interest as detectives worked to collect information from residents.
One neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, said she noticed the vehicle acting erratically just before the shooting.
“The car was parked, but it kept inching forward and reversing slightly, like it couldn’t decide where to stop,” she said. “I had just gotten into my house when I heard the first shots—then a pause, and then a burst of rapid gunfire.”
After the incident, officers from the Ogden (10th) District, along with Harrison Area detectives, canvassed nearby yards and alleyways for additional evidence.
The white sedan was left with all its doors open, surrounded by investigators and crime scene technicians.
As of Thursday evening, no arrests had been made, and no suspects had been publicly identified.
Authorities have not released a motive, though preliminary details suggest the woman may not have been the intended target.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Chicago Police Department or submit tips anonymously to CPD’s tip line at 833-408-0069.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.